Why are some individuals more resilient than others : the dynamic role of social support and religious coping in predicting PTSD and psychiatric distress as a result of mass trauma

Abstract EN

There has been little reported research into the effect of mass trauma and the dynamic role of coping strategies among young adults in Iraq.

This study investigated the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychiatric distress.

It also examined the role of social support and religious coping strategies in predicting identified mental health outcomes.

A total of 208 Iraqi students with a mean age of 20.26 years were sampled, and were assessed using the PTSD inventory, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), The Crisis Social Support (CSS), and the Brief Arab Religious Coping Scale (BARCS).

The results showed that 68.7% of the participants reported symptoms consisted with a diagnosed of current probable PTSD related to the attack, and 87.9% scored at or above the cut-off point of 4, thus fulfilling the criteria for psychiatric distress.

For the cross-sectional analysis, the presence of PTSD and psychiatric distress were predicted significantly by level of exposure to bombing, low levels of social support and religious coping.

These findings underscore the role of interpersonal resources in the psychological sequelae of exposure to a continuous, life-threatening situation by highlighting the significant role played by perceived social support and religious beliefs among individuals exposed to bombing attacks.

The clinical and research implications of the findings are discussed.