TY - JOUR
T1 - How personality affects vulnerability among Israelis and Palestinians following the 2009 Gaza conflict
AU - Canetti, Daphna
AU - Kimhi, Shaul
AU - Hanoun, Rasmiyah
AU - Rocha, Gabriel A.
AU - Galea, Sandro
AU - Morgan, Charles A.
N1 - Funding Information: Funding: This work was supported by Yale University School of Medicine, the National Center for PTSD, and the Wilbur G. Downs International Health Fellowship. Funding Information: This work was supported by Yale University School of Medicine, the National Center for PTSD, and the Wilbur G. Downs International Health Fellowship. Publisher Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Can the onset of PTSD symptoms and depression be predicted by personality factors and thought control strategies? A logical explanation for the different mental health outcomes of individuals exposed to trauma would seem to be personality factors and thought control strategies. Trauma exposure is necessary but not sufficient for the development of PTSD. To this end, we assess the role of personality traits and coping styles in PTSD vulnerability among Israeli and Palestinian students amid conflict. We also determine whether gender and exposure level to trauma impact the likelihood of the onset of PTSD symptoms. Five questionnaires assess previous trauma, PTSD symptoms, demographics, personality factors and thought control strategies, which are analyzed using path analysis. Findings show that the importance of personality factors and thought control strategies in predicting vulnerability increases in the face of political violence: the higher stress, the more important the roles of personality and thought control strategies. Thought control strategies associated with introverted and less emotionally stable personality-types correlate positively with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and depression, particularly among Palestinians. By extension, because mental health is key to reducing violence in the region, PTSD reduction in conflict zones warrants rethinking.
AB - Can the onset of PTSD symptoms and depression be predicted by personality factors and thought control strategies? A logical explanation for the different mental health outcomes of individuals exposed to trauma would seem to be personality factors and thought control strategies. Trauma exposure is necessary but not sufficient for the development of PTSD. To this end, we assess the role of personality traits and coping styles in PTSD vulnerability among Israeli and Palestinian students amid conflict. We also determine whether gender and exposure level to trauma impact the likelihood of the onset of PTSD symptoms. Five questionnaires assess previous trauma, PTSD symptoms, demographics, personality factors and thought control strategies, which are analyzed using path analysis. Findings show that the importance of personality factors and thought control strategies in predicting vulnerability increases in the face of political violence: the higher stress, the more important the roles of personality and thought control strategies. Thought control strategies associated with introverted and less emotionally stable personality-types correlate positively with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and depression, particularly among Palestinians. By extension, because mental health is key to reducing violence in the region, PTSD reduction in conflict zones warrants rethinking.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85025077203&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156278
DO - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156278
M3 - Article
C2 - 27391240
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 11
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 7
M1 - e0156278
ER -
