TY - JOUR
T1 - Does the repressor coping style predict lower posttraumatic stress symptoms?
AU - McNally, Richard J.
AU - Hatch, John P.
AU - Cedillos, Elizabeth M.
AU - Luethcke, Cynthia A.
AU - Baker, Monty T.
AU - Peterson, Alan L.
AU - Litz, Brett T.
PY - 2011/7
Y1 - 2011/7
N2 - We tested whether a continuous measure of repressor coping style predicted lower posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 122 health care professionals serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Zero-order correlational analyses indicated that predeployment repressor coping scores negatively predicted postdeployment PTSD symptoms, rs = -0.29, p = 0.001, whereas predeployment Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) scores did not predict postdeployment PTSD symptoms, rs = -0.13, p = 0.14. However, predeployment trait anxiety was chiefly responsible for the association between repressor coping and PTSD symptom severity, rs = 0.38, p = 0.001. Four percent of the subjects qualified for a probable PTSD diagnosis. Although service members with relatively higher PTSD scores had lower repressor coping scores than did the othersubjects, their level of predeployment anxiety was chiefly responsible for this relationship. Knowing someone's predeployment level of trait anxiety permits better prediction of PTSD symptoms among trauma-exposed service members than does knowing his or her level of repressive coping.
AB - We tested whether a continuous measure of repressor coping style predicted lower posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 122 health care professionals serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Zero-order correlational analyses indicated that predeployment repressor coping scores negatively predicted postdeployment PTSD symptoms, rs = -0.29, p = 0.001, whereas predeployment Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) scores did not predict postdeployment PTSD symptoms, rs = -0.13, p = 0.14. However, predeployment trait anxiety was chiefly responsible for the association between repressor coping and PTSD symptom severity, rs = 0.38, p = 0.001. Four percent of the subjects qualified for a probable PTSD diagnosis. Although service members with relatively higher PTSD scores had lower repressor coping scores than did the othersubjects, their level of predeployment anxiety was chiefly responsible for this relationship. Knowing someone's predeployment level of trait anxiety permits better prediction of PTSD symptoms among trauma-exposed service members than does knowing his or her level of repressive coping.
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U2 - 10.7205/MILMED-D-10-00429
DO - 10.7205/MILMED-D-10-00429
M3 - Article
C2 - 22128715
AN - SCOPUS:80051612977
SN - 0026-4075
VL - 176
SP - 752
EP - 756
JO - Military medicine
JF - Military medicine
IS - 7
ER -