ERIC Number: EJ809972
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0165-0254
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Psychological Distress and Resources among Siblings and Parents Exposed to Traumatic Events
Punamaki, Raija-Leena; Qouta, Samir; El Sarraj, Eyad; Montgomery, Edith
International Journal of Behavioral Development, v30 n5 p385-397 2006
We examined symmetries and asymmetries within family members' psychological distress and resources in general and when exposed to traumatic events in particular. PTSD [Posttraumatic Stress Disorder] and depressive symptoms indicated distress and resilient attitudes, and satisfaction with quality of life indicated resources. We also analysed potential complementary dynamics between family members and identified family types according to their distress and resources. Concerning trauma impact, we hypothesized that exposure to family military violence (FMV) and recent personal trauma (RPT) predict family members' psychological distress and resources differently, indicating asymmetry in family responses. The participants were 65 Palestinian families each consisting of a mother, a father and their 15-, 17- and 19-year-old children. The within-family MANOVA results showed asymmetric in psychological distress and resources in sibling and spousal subsystems, for example older siblings reported a higher level of depressive symptoms than both parents, and mothers reported PTSD more often than fathers. The cluster analysis identified four family types, two with symmetric responses: In the "resilient families" all members showed low distress and high resources, and in the "ordeal families" all showed distress and low resources. In the asymmetric families either the children or the parents showed low distress and high resources, named the "children's strength families" and the "parental strength families", respectively. Partial correlation analysis revealed complementary dynamics between children and their parents: If mothers reported high levels of psychological distress, the 15- and 17-year-olds reported low or vice versa. Spousal complementary dynamics were found in psychosocial resources: If the mother showed highly resilient attitudes, the father showed low or vice versa. As hypothesized, exposure to traumatic events was differently associated with family members' psychological distress and resources. Family military trauma (FMT) predicted depressive symptoms only among the youngest siblings, and recent personal trauma (RPT) was associated with dissatisfaction with quality of life only among the oldest sibling and fathers. (Contains 7 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Siblings, Mothers, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Quality of Life, Adolescents, Multivariate Analysis, Correlation, Psychology, Depression (Psychology), Fathers, Personality, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Armed Forces, Violence, Prediction, Foreign Countries, Family (Sociological Unit), Age Differences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Palestine
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A