Disclosure and Social Acknowledgement as Predictors of Recovery from Posttraumatic Stress: A Longitudinal Study in Crime Victims

Abstract

To address posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) predictors with research focused on the coping styles of traumatized individuals. A total of 86 crime victims (mean age 46.1, standard deviation 17.6) were assessed at 5 and 11 months post-crime. Disclosure of trauma, social acknowledgement, dysfunctional posttraumatic cognitions, and PTSD symptom severity were assessed by self-reports. Dysfunctional posttraumatic cognitions, disclosure attitudes, and social disapproval correlated positively with PTSD severity. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed the particular value of disclosure attitudes and perceived social disapproval in predicting PTSD symptom severity at 11 months post-crime. In addition to known predictors of PTSD, disclosure attitudes and social acknowledgement should also be considered. Future research should focus on broader concepts such as the victim's perception of, and interaction with, their social environment, and on the objective factors of social interaction, in addition to intrapersonal processes of posttraumatic recovery.