Nightmares as a unique predictor of suicide risk in a transgender and gender diverse sample.

Transgender and gender diverse individuals are at an increased risk for suicidality. Previous research in the general population has shown that trauma exposure is linked to suicide risk and nightmares, which commonly occur following exposure to a traumatic event, have also been linked to suicidal thoughts, attempts, and death by suicide. The current study examined the relationship among trauma exposure, sleep disturbance, and suicide risk in a sample of 155 transgender individuals. Data were gathered through an online Qualtrics survey regarding participants’ trauma exposure, endorsement of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, frequency and severity of trauma-related nightmares, and suicide risk. Nightmare frequency was found to significantly predict suicide risk, whereas nightmare severity on its own did not. Multiple exploratory analyses were conducted to examine the effects of trauma exposure and PTSD symptom severity on the relationship. In the first analysis, nightmare frequency remained the only variable significantly contributing to suicide risk, above and beyond PTSD and trauma exposure. In the second analysis, PTSD symptom severity significantly contributed to suicide risk above and beyond nightmare severity and trauma exposure. Results of the study suggest that nightmare frequency may play a unique role in suicide risk beyond that of trauma exposure and PTSD within transgender and gender diverse individuals. This provides evidence of an additional risk fa...
Source: Dreaming - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research