Citation

Sattler DN, Assanangkornchai S, Moller AM, Kesavatana-Dohrs W, Graham JM. J. Trauma Dissociation 2014; 15(2): 219-239.

Affiliation

a Department of Psychology , Western Washington University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15299732.2014.869144

PMID

24410331

Abstract

This study examines variables associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) and posttraumatic growth among two independent samples of survivors following the Indian Ocean Tsunami in Khao Lak, Thailand. Participants were exposed to unprecedented horror and loss of life and property. At three months, participants (N=248) were living in temporary shelters, and at 15 months a second sample (N=255) were living in homes built after the tsunami. Prior traumatic experiences, life threat, loss of personal characteristic resources and condition resources, somatic problems, and social support accounted for close to half of PTS variance in each sample. At three months, emotion-focused coping and concerns about government favoritism also contributed to PTS. At 15 months, lack of prior disaster experience and loss of energy resources also contributed to PTS. Distress was higher among participants surveyed at 3 months than among those surveyed at 15 months. Posttraumatic growth was positively associated with social support and problem-focused coping in both samples. The findings support conservation of resources stress theory (Hobfoll, 2012) and underscore how systemic issues affect mental health. The implications of the findings are discussed, as is the educational International Tsunami Museum designed by the first author to address systemic stressors.

Language: en