Department of Sociology, Kent State University at Stark.
Center for the Treatment and Study of Traumatic Stress, Summa Health System.
Psychol Trauma. 2018 Mar;10(2):183-189. doi: 10.1037/tra0000261. Epub 2017 Feb 16.
Law enforcement officers tend to be exposed to a high frequency of potentially traumatic incidents. A dichotomous distinction among these events involves the witnessing of threat or harm to others and the experiencing of threat or harm directly to oneself. Past research suggests that different types of trauma exposure produce varying levels of negative posttraumatic responses including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and positive outcomes such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). With the goal of better assisting officers experiencing posttraumatic stress, enhanced knowledge regarding this psychological response to the development of PTG is necessary.
The purpose of this study was to test a proposed model involving a pathway from type of trauma exposure to PTG that is mediated by PTSD symptoms among law enforcement officers (N = 193). Differences among cognitive PTG and behavioral PTG as our dependent variables, with age, marital status, and relationship stress as control variables, were assessed.
Findings indicate that events involving threat to self are more closely related to PTG, via an indirect pathway through PTSD symptoms. Additionally, personal relationship stress was directly associated with PTSD symptoms and behavioral PTG, but not cognitive PTG.
Overall, the results of this study provide initial evidence that trauma exposure type (i.e., direct vs. indirect) plays a significant role in the level of PTG. Lastly, the results allow for the possibility of positive changes in behaviors facilitated by cognitive avoidance, in contrast to the common notion that deliberate cognitive engagement is required for growth to occur. (PsycINFO Database Record
执法人员往往会频繁接触到潜在的创伤性事件。这些事件可以分为两类，一类是目睹他人受到威胁或伤害，另一类是自己直接受到威胁或伤害。过去的研究表明，不同类型的创伤暴露会产生不同程度的负面创伤后反应，包括创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状和创伤后成长（PTG）等积极结果。为了更好地帮助经历创伤后应激的警察，有必要增强对这种心理反应发展为创伤后成长的认识。
本研究的目的是测试一个假设模型，该模型涉及执法人员（N=193）中创伤暴露类型与创伤后成长之间的路径，该路径通过 PTSD 症状来介导。我们评估了认知性创伤后成长和行为性创伤后成长作为因变量，年龄、婚姻状况和人际关系紧张作为控制变量的差异。
研究结果表明，涉及自我威胁的事件与创伤后成长的关系更为密切，通过 PTSD 症状的间接途径。此外，个人关系紧张与 PTSD 症状和行为性创伤后成长直接相关，但与认知性创伤后成长无关。
总的来说，这项研究的结果初步表明，创伤暴露类型（即直接与间接）在创伤后成长水平中起着重要作用。最后，研究结果表明，认知回避可能会促进行为的积极变化，这与刻意的认知参与是成长发生所必需的常见观点相反。
