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Life stressors and posttraumatic stress symptoms mediate the association between disaster exposure and
Melissa Janson1, Erika D Felix1, Krzysztof Kaniasty2
1Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, The Gevirtz School, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.
Abstract:
Objective: The current multi-university, multi-disaster study examined the impact of natural disaster exposure on identity-related distress through life stressors and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Participants: Young adult university students (n = 665, 77% female, M = 20.5 years old) participated in Wave (W) 1. Half provided contact information for follow-up, and 136 university students participated in W2. Method: University students in the mainland U.S. and Puerto Rico were asked about disaster exposure, life stressors, PTSS, and identity-related distress at W1 (M = 9.7 months post-disaster) and identity-related distress at W2 (M = 12.4 months after W1). Two serial mediation models assessed the indirect effect of disaster exposure on W1 and W2 identity-related distress through life stressors and PTSS. Results: Disaster exposure impacted identity-related distress concurrently and longitudinally through increasing life stressors since disaster and PTSS. Conclusion: Potential supportive services should address identity-related distress among disaster-exposed young adults with PTSS.
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