2. Post-trauma risk factors and resources

3. Psychological Stress Lazarus and Folkman Psychological stress is a particular relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing or exceeding his or her resources and endangering his or her well-being

4. Critical Mediators Person Environment Cognitive Appraisals Coping

5. Efforts an individual makes to reduce their distress Coping can be a pre- and post-trauma risk factor Coping can include: –Behavioral Coping –Emotional Coping

6. Coping Dimensions

7. Problem FocusedEmotion Focused Approach Avoidance

8. Coping Dimensions Problem FocusedEmotion Focused Approach Avoidance

9. Cognitive Adaptations to Trauma

10. Assumptive Worlds Schema A cognitive structure that represents organized knowledge about a given concept or type of stimulus Assumptive World A stable conceptual system that affords us equilibrium in a constantly changing world

11. Core Assumptions: Revolve around a sense of invulnerability Benevolence of the World Meaningfulness of the World Belief in Self-Worth “Just World Belief”

12. Coping Following a Traumatic Experience Assimilation Rather than changing set of beliefs change the event that happened Accomodation Change set of beliefs to reflect what happened OverAccomodation Change set of beliefs but go overboard Characterological versus behavioral self-blame

13. Information Processing Model of PTSD Traumatic Event Why Me? Assimilation Over- Accomodation Violation of Just World

14. Social Support Refers to how people are treated following a traumatic event Studying social support is complicated because the trauma itself may affect an individual’s social support

15. Measurement Strategy Quantity Quality

16. Flannery (1990) Four types of helpful social support –Emotional support –Informational support –Social companionship –Instrumental support

17. Social Support and PTSD Boscarino (1995) –Vietnam vets with lower quality social support were more likely to have current PTSD, general anxiety, depression or alcohol abuse –Lower social support >80% of developing PTSD than those with average and >180% than those with high social support