Locus of control as a mediator between posttraumatic stress and suicide risk: rural implications

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the United States, rural locations have higher rates of suicide than urban locations. One factor associated with an increased risk of suicide is posttraumatic stress. After a traumatic event, however, individuals from rural places are at a decreased risk of suicide compared with urban individuals. This article examines one possible reason for decreased suicide risk among rural individuals who have experienced trauma: locus of control. Internal locus of control is associated with decreased suicidal behaviours. While there is limited knowledge on the prevalence of internal loci of control among rural residents, self-reliance and independence, constructs congruent with internal locus of control, are prevailing characteristics of rural individuals. In a sample of 187 adults with trauma histories, rural, rural-fringe, and urban individuals do not significantly differ in suicide risk, locus of control, or posttraumatic stress symptoms. Locus of control predicts suicide risk, such that a more external locus of control is associated with increased risk, but it does not mediate the relation between posttraumatic stress and risk of suicide.