Trauma experience, psychological resilience and dispositional optimism: Three adult generations in Lithuania

Eglė Mažulytė,Danutė Gailienė,Neringa Grigutytė,Jonas Eimontas,Evaldas Kazlauskas,Monika Skerytė-Kazlauskienė

doi:10.15388/psichol.2014.49.3696

Abstract

SummaryEpidemiological studies suggest that the vast majority of people experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime; however, severe posttraumatic stress symptoms affect only few of those ever exposed to trauma. This study has been aimed to find out whether trait resilience and dispositional optimism are associated with trauma experience and a probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 300 Lithuanian adults of three different age groups. The Life Events Checklist (LEC), Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ), Resilience Scale (RS-14), and Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) were used to measure potentially traumatic events, posttraumatic reactions, psychological resilience, and dispositional optimism. Results of this study revealed a high prevalence of potentially traumatic events among its participants (95%). Nearly 7% of the total sample had probable PTSD. A significant moderate positive relationship was found between the resilience and optimism, r(300) = .40, p < .01. Optimism was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms, r(214) = –.17, p < .05; however, contrary to what was expected, there was no significant association between the trauma reactions and trait resilience.

Highlights

Epidemiological studies suggest that the vast majority of people experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime; severe posttraumatic stress symptoms affect only few of those ever exposed to trauma
This study has been aimed to find out whether trait resilience and dispositional optimism are associated with trauma experience and a probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Optimism was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms, r(214) = –.17, p < .05; contrary to what was expected, there was no significant association between the trauma reactions and trait resilience

Summary

Introduction

Epidemiological studies suggest that the vast majority of people experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime; severe posttraumatic stress symptoms affect only few of those ever exposed to trauma. This study has been aimed to find out whether trait resilience and dispositional optimism are associated with trauma experience and a probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A study of a nationally representative probability sample (N = 183) of Lithuanian teenagers (aged between 13 and 17 years) revealed that up to 80.2% of youngsters experienced at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime (79.8% of females and 80.7% of males) (Domanskaitė-Gota, Elklit, & Christiansen, 2009). Among the most common traumatic events in this sample were: serious accident (car accident, accident at work or somewhere else) 27.7%; physical punishments or abuse in childhood 20.5%; being attacked, beaten up, or mugged 30.1%

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