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Emotional numbing weakens abused inner‐city women's resiliency resources
Author(s) -
Johnson Dawn M.,
Palmieri Patrick A.,
Jackson Anita P.,
Hobfoll Stevan E.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20201
Subject(s) - conservation of resources theory , psychology , posttraumatic stress , stressor , resource (disambiguation) , intervention (counseling) , domestic violence , clinical psychology , injury prevention , poison control , psychiatry , social psychology , medicine , environmental health , computer science , computer network
Conservation of resources theory (S. E. Hobfoll, 1988, 1999) hypothesizes that loss of resiliency resources can contribute to abused women's posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which, in turn, contribute to a further loss of resources, which can make abused women even more vulnerable to future stressors. This study investigates the impact of PTSD symptoms on abused women's future loss of resources—resources that women both value and need to aid their ongoing adjustment. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms contributed to future resource loss in abused women, even when controlling for the effects of prior resource loss and depression. Emotional numbing symptoms of PTSD accounted most for women's resource loss. Findings highlight the importance of research and intervention that more directly examines the link between emotions and resource loss.