Associations among posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, life satisfaction, and well-being comparisons: A...

Many individuals who encounter potentially traumatic events go on to develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research suggests that survivors of traumatic events frequently compare their current well-being to different standards; yet, knowledge regarding the role of comparative thinking in well-being is limited to a few cross-sectional studies. We therefore examined the temporal associations among aversive well-being comparisons (i.e., comparisons threatening self-motives), PTSD symptoms, and life satisfaction in individuals exposed to traumatic events. Participants (N = 518) with a trauma history completed measures of PTSD symptoms and life satisfaction, as well as the Comparison Standards Scale for Well-being (CSS-W), at assessment points 3 months apart. The CSS-W assesses the frequency, perceived discrepancy, and affective impact of aversive social, temporal, counterfactual, and criteria-based comparisons related to well-being. All participants reported having engaged in aversive well-being comparisons during the last 3 weeks. Comparison frequency emerged as a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms, β = .24, beyond baseline PTSD symptom severity. Life satisfaction contributed unique variance to the comparison process by predicting comparison frequency, β = -.18; discrepancy, β = -.24; and affective impact, β = .20. The findings suggest that frequent aversive comparisons may lead to a persistent focus on negative aspects of well-being, thereby exacerbating PTSD symptoms, and further indicate that comparison frequency, discrepancy, and affective impact are significantly influenced by life satisfaction. Taken together, the findings support the need for a thorough examination of the role of comparative thinking in clinical populations, which may ultimately help improve clinical care.