Resilience Beyond Symptom Reduction: A Dual-Dimension Model of Distress and Adaptation Under Continuous Traumatic Stress
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: Traditional trauma models often view resilience merely as the absence of clinical symptoms. Applying the dual-continua framework to Continuous Traumatic Stress (CTS) during the ongoing Swords of Iron war, this study examined whether psychological distress and positive adaptation function as distinct, coexisting dimensions among civilians under active threat, while mapping differential predictors for each dimension.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 674 Israeli adults approximately 18 months following the war's outbreak. Validated measures assessed trauma exposure, sociodemographic, clinical distress (depression, anxiety, PTSS), individual resilience, and post-traumatic growth (PTG). Dimensionality was evaluated via Principal Component Analysis (PCA), further supported by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and followed by multiple regression analyses predicting each dimension. Results: PCA and SEM analyses confirmed two empirically distinct dimensions: Distress (encompassing depression, anxiety, and PTSS) and Adaptation (encompassing resilience and PTG). Trauma exposure extent, younger age, and female gender significantly predicted higher scores across both dimensions. Conversely, receiving mental health treatment and lower income uniquely predicted Distress, whereas active combat participation uniquely predicted Adaptation. Conclusions: Psychological distress and positive adaptation coexist under CTS through shared and dimension-specific mechanisms, supporting a nuanced model of continuous adaptation. Interventions during prolonged adversity should not rely solely on symptom reduction; psychological care must incorporate a dual-dimension model to simultaneously relieve distress and actively cultivate adaptive resources. Limitations: Reliance on traditional 'post'-trauma instruments limit the precise assessment of dynamic adaptation during ongoing CTS, and the cross-sectional design precludes causal conclusions.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213885560