Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a sequela of work-related incidents is associated with significant health and socioeconomic burden. The current study examined the latent structure of PTSD symptoms, their moderators and predictors, and explored a risk pathway model in a sample of trauma-exposed workers (N = 440). Six models, ranging from 1 to 5 factors, representing 17 PTSD symptoms described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) and assessed by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV (CAPS-DX; Blake et al., 1995), were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. The dysphoria model (Simms et al., 2002) had adequate fit, provided a parsimonious structure over competing models, and evidenced differential correlation patterns with symptoms of depression, anxiety and pain. Measurement invariance across gender and interpersonal violence was obtained for the dysphoria model. Differences due to gender and interpersonal violence in severity of the hyperarousal factor were found. Subsequently, the social cognitive theory of posttraumatic recovery (Benight Bandura, 2004) and epidemiological literature guided conceptualization of a risk pathway model using structural equation modeling. The model supported self-efficacy as a proximal predictor of PTSD. Further, it highlighted the role of trauma type (interpersonal violence), vulnerability (family psychiatric history, female gender, childhood adversity), and protective (education and social support) factors. While historical predictors or their impact may be difficult to change, coping self-efficacy is known to be amenable to psychological intervention with promising results (Benight Bandura, 2004). Coping self-efficacy may be an important target of psychological assessment and intervention.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Touraj Amiri
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3093649039