High Stress, Trauma-Prone Lives, and Suicide Risk

Although several studies suggest that stress disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are associated with increased risk for psychiatric morbidity, mortality, and suicide, few large-scale epidemiological surveys have examined these phenomena. Using Danish registry data on 101,663 citizens diagnosed with acute stress reaction (9%), adjustment disorder (66%), PTSD (4%), or other reactions to severe stress (22%) from 1995 through 2011, researchers examined all subsequent inpatient and outpatient records coded for four types of traumatic events, psychiatric diagnoses, mortality, and suicide.

Compared with 508,315 age- and sex-matched individuals without stress diagnoses, individuals with initial stress disorders had substan…