Does the repressor coping style predict lower posttraumatic stress symptoms?

Richard J. McNally, John P. Hatch, Elizabeth M. Cedillos, Cynthia A. Luethcke, Monty T. Baker, Alan L. Peterson, Brett T. Litz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)752-756
Number of pages5
JournalMilitary medicine
Volume176
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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