TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-concept, post-traumatic self-appraisals and post-traumatic psychological adjustment
T2 - What are the relationships
AU - Engelbrecht, Alberta
AU - Jobson, Laura
PY - 2020/7
Y1 - 2020/7
N2 - Background:Cognitive models of post-traumatic psychological adjustment have implicated both self-concept and self-appraisals in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two studies investigated the relationship between self-concept and trauma-related self-appraisals, and whether culture influenced this relationship.Method:In Study 1, a student sample (Asian n = 41, British n = 34) who self-identified as having been through a trauma or extremely stressful event completed measures of self-concept, trauma-related self-appraisals and trauma-related distress. Study 2 extended this by asking Asian (n = 47) and British (n = 48) trauma survivors with and without PTSD to complete the same self measures as those administered in Study 1.Results:Study 1 found that overall for the British group, disruptions in self-concept (i.e. self-discrepancies and trauma-themed self-concept) correlated significantly with negative self, world and self-blame appraisals and depression. However, the same was not found in the Asian group. Study 2 found that pan-culturally those with PTSD had greater self-discrepancies and trauma-defined self-concept than those without PTSD. Additionally, pan-culturally, trauma-defined self-concept correlated significantly with negative self appraisals and depression; ideal self-discrepancies correlated significantly with negative self-appraisals across cultures and depression for the British group; while ought self-discrepancies correlated significantly with negative world appraisals for the Asian group and negative self and self-blame appraisals for the British. Lastly, negative self, world and self-blame appraisals correlated with symptoms of depression.Conclusions:Taken together, the findings relay the important associations between appraisals, self-concept and post-traumatic psychological adjustment.
AB - Background:Cognitive models of post-traumatic psychological adjustment have implicated both self-concept and self-appraisals in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two studies investigated the relationship between self-concept and trauma-related self-appraisals, and whether culture influenced this relationship.Method:In Study 1, a student sample (Asian n = 41, British n = 34) who self-identified as having been through a trauma or extremely stressful event completed measures of self-concept, trauma-related self-appraisals and trauma-related distress. Study 2 extended this by asking Asian (n = 47) and British (n = 48) trauma survivors with and without PTSD to complete the same self measures as those administered in Study 1.Results:Study 1 found that overall for the British group, disruptions in self-concept (i.e. self-discrepancies and trauma-themed self-concept) correlated significantly with negative self, world and self-blame appraisals and depression. However, the same was not found in the Asian group. Study 2 found that pan-culturally those with PTSD had greater self-discrepancies and trauma-defined self-concept than those without PTSD. Additionally, pan-culturally, trauma-defined self-concept correlated significantly with negative self appraisals and depression; ideal self-discrepancies correlated significantly with negative self-appraisals across cultures and depression for the British group; while ought self-discrepancies correlated significantly with negative world appraisals for the Asian group and negative self and self-blame appraisals for the British. Lastly, negative self, world and self-blame appraisals correlated with symptoms of depression.Conclusions:Taken together, the findings relay the important associations between appraisals, self-concept and post-traumatic psychological adjustment.
KW - appraisals
KW - identity
KW - self-concept
KW - self-discrepancy
KW - trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083721846&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1352465820000156
DO - 10.1017/S1352465820000156
M3 - Article
C2 - 32301403
AN - SCOPUS:85083721846
SN - 1352-4658
VL - 48
SP - 463
EP - 480
JO - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
JF - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
IS - 4
ER -