Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2023.320

SUICIDE ATTEMPTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS IN CROATIAN WAR VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Nenad Jakšić orcid.org/0000-0002-5286-720X ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivona Šimunović Filipčić ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia ; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Branka Aukst Margetić ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia ; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia ; Croatian Catholic University, Zagreb, Croatia
Marina Šagud ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Darko Marčinko ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Davor Lasić orcid.org/0000-0001-7571-0291 ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center Split, Split, Croatia
Miro Jakovljević orcid.org/0000-0003-0420-357X ; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Background: Patients with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an increased frequency of suicide ideations,
but also a higher risk of suicide attempts. Of all the known predisposing risk factors of suicide attempts in this population,
personality dimensions are one of the least investigated. The main aim of this study was to examine if personality traits, namely temperament
and character dimensions and trait impulsivity, are associated with suicide attempts in war veterans with PTSD.
Subjects and methods: This sample included 178 Croatian male war veterans (mean age 49.20 years) treated for PTSD at the
Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb. These patients were assessed with the M.I.N.I.
diagnostic interview and they filled out several self-report scales: the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II), the Temperament
and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).
Results: It was found that 42 (24%) Croatian war veterans with PTSD had a previous suicide attempt. Comparison between the
two groups (participants with vs. those without history of suicide attempts) revealed that patients with previous suicide attempts are
less educated and more often unemployed, have a longer duration of psychiatric treatment and more psychiatric hospitalizations, and
exhibit higher levels of depression and lower life satisfaction. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, temperament dimension
Harm Avoidance and character dimension Self-transcendence were unique predictors of suicide attempts, above the influence of age,
education level and length of treatment.
Conclusions: Croatian war veterans with PTSD have a substantial risk of suicide attempts. In addition to the role of some
sociodemographic and clinical factors, it seems that certain personality dimensions are uniquely associated with suicide behaviours
among these individuals.

Keywords

personality; temperament; character; suicide; war veterans; PTSD

Hrčak ID:

310660

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/310660

Publication date:

25.10.2023.

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