(PS14-56) The Role of Hopelessness and Resilience in the Association Between PTSD and Suicidal Risk Among Firefighters

Firefighters represent a unique population that is at heightened risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  PTSD has been associated with a range of mental health outcomes including suicide in various populations such as university students and military veterans. There is growing evidence to suggest that PTSD symptoms are associated with suicide risk among firefighters. Beyond further understanding the association between PTSD and suicide, there is a need to uncover related transdiagnostic factors. Extant research has identified hopelessness and resilience as transdiagnostic mechanisms associated with PTSD and suicide. While both hopelessness and resilience have separately been examined in relation to PTSD and/or suicide, no studies to date have (1) explored these associations in the same model and (2) examined these associations among firefighters. Therefore, the current study examined, among firefighters, the association of PTSD symptom severity with suicide risk through hopelessness and resilience, examined concurrently. The sample included 263 firefighters (M_age = 40.41, SD = 9.55; 92.0% male; 79.8% white) recruited from a large urban fire department in the southern United States. Results indicated that both hopelessness (β = .02, 95% CI [.01, .03]) and resilience (β = .02, 95% CI [.01, .03]) mediated (i.e., a significant indirect effect) the association of PTSD symptom severity with suicide risk. This research has the potential to inform and advance firefighter mental health outreach programs and policies.