@article{ref1,
title="Dispositional optimism and self-esteem as competing predictors of acute symptoms of generalized anxiety disorders and dissociative experiences among civilians exposed to war trauma",
journal="Psychological trauma: theory, research, practice, and policy",
year="2015",
author="Weinberg, Michael and Besser, Avi and Zeigler-Hill, Virgil and Neria, Yuval",
volume="7",
number="1",
pages="34-42",
abstract="Although previous studies have rarely examined predictors of acute emotional responses to war trauma, this &quot;natural laboratory&quot; study aimed to examine the role that individual differences in dispositional optimism and self-esteem play in the development of acute symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and dissociative experiences. A sample of 140 female adults exposed to missile and rocket fire during an eruption of violence in the Middle East in November 2012 was assessed during real-time exposure. The results demonstrate inverse associations between dispositional optimism and acute symptoms of GAD and dissociation. The associations were accounted for by individual differences in self-esteem. In addition, individuals with low levels of dispositional optimism demonstrated a higher risk for acute GAD and dissociative experiences, in part because of their low levels of self-esteem. Theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1942-9681",
doi="10.1037/a0035170",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035170"
}