Social Support and Self-Construal as Moderators of Lifetime Trauma Exposure on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Although social support is consistently associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little is known about the nuances of this relationship. This study aimed to investigate the influence of self-construal (independence vs. interdependence orientation) on the associations between PTSD and posttrauma functional social support (appraisal, tangible, belonging, and emotional) using a sample of European Australian and Asian Australian trauma survivors. Participants (N = 118, 85% female) completed a series of self-report measures assessing social support and PTSD symptoms. We found that only emotional support moderated the relationship between lifetime trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. Second, independent self-construal did not moderate the moderating effect of functional support on the relationship between lifetime trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. However, interdependent self-construal did moderate the moderation effects (moderated moderation) of total, tangible, and belonging supports on the relationship between lifetime trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. The findings suggest that self-construal, particularly interdependence, may play an important role in influencing the effectiveness of social support in moderating the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD and indicate a need for greater research in this area.