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Positive traits versus previous trauma: racially different correlates with PTSD symptoms among hurricane katrina‐rita volunteers
Author(s) -
Ai Amy L.,
Plummer Carol,
Kanno Hanae,
Heo Grace,
Appel Hoa B.,
Simon Cassandra E.,
Spigner Clarence
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.20442
Subject(s) - african american , stressor , posttraumatic stress , clinical psychology , hurricane katrina , psychology , multilevel model , psychiatry , medicine , demography , natural disaster , ethnology , physics , machine learning , sociology , meteorology , computer science , history
This study compared risks and protective factors for acquiring symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) between African‐American ( n =299) and European‐American ( n =206) student volunteers 3 months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (H‐KR). Respondents retrospectively provided information on peritraumatic emotional reactions and previous trauma that were recalled by H‐KR and H‐KR stressors. African‐American respondents reported higher levels of symptoms and higher rates of recollection of prior traumas during H‐KR than their European‐American counterparts. Hierarchical regression analyses found that previous trauma recollections predicted symptoms among European Americans but not among African Americans. Disaster‐related stressors, however, affected African Americans more than European Americans. Though negative emotions had negative outcomes for both groups, positive emotions and hope served as protective factors for African Americans. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.