The Mediating Effects of Social Support and Locus of Control on the Relationship between Post-Traumatic Stress and Depressive Symptoms in a Jamaican University Sample

Research on the role of social support in occupational samples has suggested that work-based social support [WBSS] may have a significant buffering and main effect on occupational stress. Using occupational stress research as a model, the present research explored the relationship between WBSS and job-induced post-traumatic stress [PTS] in a sample of cash-in-transit security guards that had experienced a high incidence of armed robberies in the line of duty. Results indicate that WBSS has a significant relationship with PTS. Factors associated with elevated PTS levels are discussed and comparisons are made with guards who had not experienced traumatic incidents. Opsomming Navorsing omtrent die rol van sosiale ondersteuning in werkersteekproewe dui daarop dat werkgebaseerde sosiale ondersteuning (WGSO) n betekenisvolle bufferings- en hoofeffek op beroepstres het. Die huidige navorsing het die verhouding tussenWGSO en werkgeinduseerde posttraumaties stres (PTS) inn steekproefkontant- in-transito sekuriteitswagte, wat n hoë insidensie gewapende roof in die uitvoer van hul dagtaak beleefhet, ondersoek. Die bevindinge dui aan dat daar 'n betekenisvolle verhouding tussenWGSO en PTS bestaan. Faktore wat met PTS geassosieer word, word bespreek en vergelykings word getref met sekuriteitswagte wat geen traumatiese belewenis gehad het nie.

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Resilience mediates the relationship between social support and post-traumatic stress symptoms in police officers

Journal of Emergency Management ◽

10.5055/jem.2017.0319 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 107 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Erin C. McCanlies, PhD ◽

Ja Kook Gu, MPH ◽

Michael E. Andrew, PhD ◽

Cecil M. Burchfiel, PhD ◽

John M. Violanti, PhD

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Hurricane Katrina ◽

Police Officers ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

The Relationship

Objective: Police officers in the New Orleans geographic area faced a number of challenges following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.Design: This cross-sectional study examined gratitude, resilience, and satisfaction with life as mediators in the association between social support and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 82 male and 31 female police officers. The Gratitude Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List were used to measure gratitude, resilience, satisfaction with life, and social support, respectively. PTSD symptoms were measured using the PTSD Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C). Ordinary least square regression mediation analysis was used to estimate direct and indirect effects among gratitude, resilience, satisfaction with life, social support, and PTSD symptoms. All models were adjusted for age, alcohol, race, and previous military experience.Results: Mean PCL-C symptoms were 29.1 (standard deviation [SD] = 14.4) for females and 27.9 (SD = 12.1) for males. There was no direct relationship between social support and PTSD symptoms (c9 = −0.041; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.199, 0.117) independent of the indirect effect through resilience (effect = −0.038; 95%CI = −0.099, −0.002). Neither gratitude (effect = −0.066; 95% CI = −0.203, 0.090) nor satisfaction with life (effect = −0.036, 95% CI = −0.131, 0.046) contribute to the indirect effect.Conclusions: These results indicate that resilience mediates the relationship between social support and symptoms of PTSD. Targeting social support and resilience in officers may facilitate reduction of PTSD symptoms.

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