Work

Finding social benefits after a collective trauma: Perceiving societal changes and well‐being following 9/11

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: Individuals frequently perceive positive changes in themselves following adversity; after a collective trauma, they may perceive such benefits in others or in their society as well. We examined perceived benefits of the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks in a 3-year study of a national sample of adults (N = 1382). Many individuals (57.8%) perceived social benefits of 9/11, including increased prosocial behavior, religiousness, or political engagement. Individuals who found increased national religiosity as a benefit 2 months post-9/11 reported greater positive affect and life satisfaction and lower distress and posttraumatic stress up to 3 years post-9/11. Pre-9/11 religiousness and Republican political affiliation predicted perceiving religion-related social benefits post-9/11. Perceptions of social change are important but understudied responses to stressful events.

Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress

DOI: 10.1002/jts.20391

Authors: Michael J. Poulin, Roxane Cohen Silver, Virginia Gil‐Rivas, E. Alison Holman, Daniel N. McIntosh

Institutions: University at Buffalo, State University of New York, University of California, Irvine, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Denver

Language: English

Topic: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Science Foundation, University of California, Irvine