Role of personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among flood victims

Abstract

Floods, which are frequent in France, can trigger a range of psychiatric problems. The most common is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies have already been shown to play a role in PTSD, the influence of these two dimensions and their interactions has seldom been explored among flood victims. We therefore set out to fill this lacuna, by PTSD symptoms, personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in 67 adults whose homes had been flooded. Results showed that the more participants used catastrophizing and rumination strategies, and the less they used putting into perspective and positive reappraisal strategies, the higher their PTSD symptom scores. High levels of neuroticism and catastrophizing were major risk factors for PTSD. Results also showed that putting into perspective moderated the influence of neuroticism as a risk factor. In conclusion, we recommend that flood victims showing signs of PTSD, especially those with elevated neuroticism, be offered therapeutic interventions designed foster the development of adaptive emotion regulation strategies such as putting into perspective and positive reappraisal.