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

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.