| Title | Community violence victimization and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder: the moderating effects of coping and social support. | | Author(s) | Scarpa A, Haden SC, Hurley J | | Institution | Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 24061-0436, USA. ascarpa@vt.edu | | Source | J Interpers Violence 2006 Apr; 21(4):446-69. | | MeSH | Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Crime Victims
Female
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Prevalence
Questionnaires
Social Support
Statistics, Nonparametric
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
United States
| | Abstract | This study tested the relationship of community violence (CV) victimization to severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the roles of coping style and perceived social support in moderating that relationship. Three-hundred seventy-two men and women (age 18 to 22 years) self-reported on CV exposure, traumatic experiences, PTSD symptoms, perceived support from family and friends, and coping strategies. Results indicated that high CV victimization, high disengagement coping (i.e., avoidant styles), and low perceived social support from family and friends significantly predicted increased PTSD scores. Significant moderating effects indicated that the relationship between victimization and heightened PTSD severity was stronger at high levels of perceived friend support and disengagement. Thus, the protective function of friend support seemed to break down at increasing levels of victimization, whereas, as expected, avoidant styles of coping increased the risk for negative outcome. Findings are discussed in terms of event controllability, negative social reactions, and coping resources. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 16501214 |
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