World assumptions, posttraumatic stress and quality of life after a natural disaster: A longitudinal study

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Trond Heir¹  Egil Nygaard¹ 

[1] Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Kirkeveien 166, Bygning 48, 0450, Oslo, Norway

关键词: World assumptions;    Quality of life;    PTSD;    Posttraumatic stress;    Natural disaster;   

Others  :  825452
DOI  :  10.1186/1477-7525-10-76

 received in 2012-04-04, accepted in 2012-06-20,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Background

Changes in world assumptions are a fundamental concept within theories that explain posttraumatic stress disorder. The objective of the present study was to gain a greater understanding of how changes in world assumptions are related to quality of life and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster.

Methods

A longitudinal study of 574 Norwegian adults who survived the Southeast Asian tsunami in 2004 was undertaken. Multilevel analyses were used to identify which factors at six months post-tsunami predicted quality of life and posttraumatic stress symptoms two years post-tsunami.

Results

Good quality of life and posttraumatic stress symptoms were negatively related. However, major differences in the predictors of these outcomes were found. Females reported significantly higher quality of life and more posttraumatic stress than men. The association between level of exposure to the tsunami and quality of life seemed to be mediated by posttraumatic stress. Negative perceived changes in the assumption “the world is just” were related to adverse outcome in both quality of life and posttraumatic stress. Positive perceived changes in the assumptions “life is meaningful” and “feeling that I am a valuable human” were associated with higher levels of quality of life but not with posttraumatic stress.

Conclusions

Quality of life and posttraumatic stress symptoms demonstrate differences in their etiology. World assumptions may be less specifically related to posttraumatic stress than has been postulated in some cognitive theories.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Nygaard and Heir; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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