Fear and Hope: The Relationships between Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Positive Psychological Impact Following Exposure to Politically Motivated Violence

Abstract

We discuss the relationships between fear and hope, two seemingly opposing concepts, by reviewing the results of studies with survivors of politically motivated violence, and rescuers and health care professionals treating such victims. The findings indicate that direct or vicarious exposure to politically motivated violence often causes fear in the form of traumatic stress symptoms. These symptoms include recurrent fear thinking or dreaming, hyperarousal in response to cues that are associated with the traumatic event, and avoidance of cues that remind the individual of the traumatic event. However, survivors, rescuers and health care providers also experience hope, reflected in improved self image, a deeper understanding of self, increased spirituality, and/or enhanced interpersonal relationships. A curvilinear relationship between fear and hope exists in most samples, with greater degrees of fear associated with more hope, up to a threshold point, beyond which a plateau or decline is observed. The findings also suggest that greater proximity to trauma is associated with higher levels of both fear and hope. These findings are supported by some other studies that have examined the relationships between negative and positive reactions to trauma and by behavioural studies that have examined associations between fear and hope.