Do Negative Changes in Worldview Mediate Links Between Mass Trauma and Reckless Behavior? A Longitudinal Exploratory Study

Overview

Journal Community Ment Health J

Specialty Health Services

Date 2015 Jul 8

PMID 26148489

Citations 1

Authors

Claire E Blevins

Michael F Wusik

Connor P Sullivan

Russell T Jones

Michael Hughes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Trauma exposure heightens the risk of reckless behavior and is now included in DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology. Individuals exposed to trauma may be likely to engage in reckless behavior because of negative changes in their worldview (referred to as disrupted worldview). The current study investigates the relationship between DSM-IV posttraumatic stress symptoms, disrupted worldview, and increased reckless behavior among 1145 students exposed to mass violence. Total posttraumatic stress symptomatology was associated with increased and persistent reckless behavior, supporting DSM-5 diagnostic inclusion. Although posttraumatic stress symptomatology predicted reckless behavior among those with varying levels of posttraumatic symptomatology, individuals with high symptomatology reported significantly higher recklessness. Disrupted worldview mediated the relationship between posttraumatic symptomatology and reckless behavior among individuals with high symptomatology, while only partially mediating the relationship among those with low symptomatology. These findings provide support for worldview disruptions as a mechanism by which prolonged reckless behavior may be manifested.

Citing Articles

The Indirect Relationship Between Interpersonal Trauma History and Alcohol Use via Negative Cognitions in a Multisite Alcohol Treatment Sample.

Fokas K, Robinson C, Witkiewitz K, McCrady B, Yeater E Alcohol Treat Q. 2020; 38(3):290-305.

PMID: 33012968 PMC: 7531018. DOI: 10.1080/07347324.2019.1669513.

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