Introduction to the Special Issue on Posttraumatic Stress and Suicide

This article introduces this special issue of the Journal of Traumatic Stress devoted to new research investigating the associations among trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and suicidal ideation and behavior. Given the high rates of suicide seen in the aftermath of trauma exposure around the globe, it is important that researchers and clinicians strive to better understand the underlying processes and mechanisms that account for this association and that potentially could be harnessed in intervention and prevention efforts. This opening article introduces the content and themes of the present collection of manuscripts gathered together in this special issue, which includes both conceptual and empirical pieces devoted to the study of suicidality in the context of trauma exposure and considers implications for future research and evidence-based interventions.