Compassion buffers the association between trauma exposure and PTSD symptom severity: Findings of a cross-sectional study.
Psychoneuroendocrinology
; 165: 107036, 2024 Jul.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38642476
ABSTRACT
To advance intervention science dedicated to improve refugees' mental health, a better understanding of factors of risk and resilience involved in the etiology and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is needed. In the present study, we tested whether empathy and compassion, two trainable aspects of social cognition related to health, would modulate risk for PTSD after war-related trauma. Fifty-six refugees and 42 migrants from Arabic-speaking countries reported on their trauma experiences, PTSD symptoms, and perceived trait empathy and compassion. They further completed the EmpaToM, a naturalistic computer task measuring behavioral empathy and compassion. Moderation analyses revealed that behavioral, but not self-reported compassion was a significant moderator of the trauma-PTSD link. Trauma was more strongly related to PTSD symptoms when individuals had low (ß =.59, t = 4.27, p <.001) as compared to high levels of behavioral compassion. Neither self-reported nor behavioral empathy moderated the trauma-PTSD link (ß =.24, t = 1.57, p =.120). Findings indicate that the ability to go beyond the sharing of others' suffering and generate the positive feeling of compassion may support resilience in the context of trauma and subsequent development of PTSD. Hence, compassion may be a suitable target for prevention and intervention approaches reducing PTSD symptoms after trauma.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Refugiados
/
Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático
/
Empatía
Límite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article