Associations between relationship quality, social network resources, appraisals, coping, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore whether posttrauma cognitions and maladaptive coping strategies mediated the association between perceived social support (availability of social network and quality of specific relationships) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Method: A community sample of trauma survivors (N = 67, 84% female) completed self-report measures assessing relationship quality, perceived availability of social network support, PTSD symptoms, negative posttrauma appraisals and maladaptive coping strategies. Results: Posttrauma appraisals mediated the association between quality of relationships (support, conflict and depth) and PTSD symptoms, and between availability of social network support and PTSD symptoms. Further, there was an indirect pathway between social support (quality of relationship and availability of social network) and PTSD symptoms through negative cognitive appraisals and maladaptive coping strategies (serial mediation). Conclusions: Our results are consistent with theoretical predictions that socially supportive (support, depth and social network availability) and unsupportive (conflict) relationships are associated with PTSD, through cognitive appraisal and coping processes. Clinical implications for further integrating interpersonal support into cognitive therapies were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).