Negative Affect Predicts Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Brazilian Volunteer United Nations Peacekeepers in Haiti

Abstract

Our study evaluated the relationship between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) traits on the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among peacekeepers. A longitudinal study with 138 army personnel deployed to a peacekeeping mission in Haiti was conducted. An instrument for measuring PA and NA traits was used before deployment. PTSS, indexed by posttraumatic stress disorder Checklist--Military Version (PCL-M) and frequency of stressful situations were measured after return. Regression analysis showed that both NA and number of stressful situations contributed toward increasing PCL-M scores (Adjusted R = 0.25; p < 0.001). We also found that NA traits interact with intensively stressful situations enhancing the occurrence of PTSS (Adjusted R = 0.32; p < 0.001). These findings suggest that NA traits are an important predictor for PTSS among peacekeepers and also worsen the consequences of being exposed to stressful situations.

Are happier people less vulnerable to rumination, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress? Evidence from a large scale disaster

“…The fifth hypothesis aims to replicate Souza et al (2008) results about the relationships between negative affect and PTSD in a different stressful event -a fire. Souza et al suggest that negative affect seems to worsen the consequences of being exposed to a traumatic situation.…”

“…One argument against the relevance of SWB to this issue may be that negative affect, one component of SWB, maybe also considered a component of neuroticism (Costa and McCrae 1992) associated with anxiety (Schwartz and Koenig 1996) and PTSD (Souza et al 2008). From this perspective, if negative affect items had contributed to the final neuroticism score, the associations would have been higher.…”

“…Positive and negative affect constitute the frequency and intensity that people experience positive and negative emotions in their lives (e.g., cheerful, enthusiastic, inspired vs. blue, hostile, and nervous respectively). Souza et al (2008) demonstrate that negative affect is an important predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms after stressful situations, and Moberly and Watkins (2008) propose the existence of a reciprocal relation between negative affect and rumination. If these relationships apply to stressful situations in general, we would also expect an association of negative affect with rumination and PSTD after a large scale disaster.…”

“…Based on the evidence presented, we expect negative affect predicts rumination. Hypothesis 5: Souza et al (2008) verified negative affect predicts post-traumatic stress symptoms after a stressful event -a peacekeeping mission in Haiti. We aim to replicate this finding with a different stressful event -a large scale fire.…”

Peacekeepers e controle do estresse nas missões de paz: um estudo das funções da religião no processo de enfrentamento

“…Haiti sugere que indivíduos com traço de personalidade de afeto negativo (emoções de ansiedade e angústia em relação à percepção de bem-estar subjetivo) estão mais propensos a desenvolverem sintomas de TEPT quando expostos a eventos traumáticos (Souza et al, 2008 Já nos estressores seguintes, houve uma mudança de estressores intensos percebidos, sendo "estar longe da família e amigos" como o segundo maior no contingente 1 e "risco pessoal de ferimento e morte durante a missão" como o segundo estressor mais reportado no contingente 2.…”