Study of the links between emotional regulation strategies and sense of place in the expression of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in flood victims

Abstract

Many risk factors for PTSD have been identified in flood victims. Yet, some have been under-explored, like cognitive coping, which has been identified as a risk factor for PTSD for other traumatic events. Moreover, while flooding can affect places that are important to individuals (e.g. their home and neighbourhood), the role of sense of place in PTSD has been neglected. The objective of this research is to investigate the potential role of under-explored individual and situational risk factors in PTSD in flood victims. To this end, the following variables were measured in 79 French flood victims: sense of place (with sense of place scale), cognitive coping (with CERQ), and PTSD (with PCL-5). Results showed that the more individuals use inappropriate cognitive emotional regulation strategies, the more attached they are to their home and city, and the higher their PTSD scores. These results can help to target vulnerable people and improve care.