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Long‐term effects of coping with extreme stress: Longitudinal study of Vietnam‐era repatriated prisoners of war
Author(s) -
Kaiser Anica Pless,
Park Crystal L.,
King Lynda A.,
King Daniel W.,
Schuster Jennifer,
Spiro Avron,
Moore Jeffrey L.,
Kaloupek Danny G.,
Keane Terence M.
Publication year - 2011
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.20695
Subject(s) - coping (psychology) , avoidance coping , mental health , stressor , psychology , situational ethics , repatriation , torture , clinical psychology , poison control , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , medical emergency , archaeology , political science , law , human rights , history
Captivity stressors and coping strategies were assessed shortly after the repatriation of Vietnam‐era prisoners of war, and physical and mental health were assessed almost three decades later. Given research on coping goodness‐of‐fit, specifically the extent to which coping effects depend on situational controllability, we proposed that endorsement of the usefulness of avoidance‐based strategies in captivity would be predictive of better later‐life health. Findings indicated that approach‐based and avoidance‐based coping both moderated the link between physical torture and later physical health functional status, whereas approach‐based coping moderated the link between injuries at capture and later mental health. Specifically, greater endorsement of avoidance‐based coping was associated with better long‐term physical health for prisoners who experienced the most physical torture. Lower endorsement of approach‐based coping was associated with better long‐term mental health for prisoners who reported the most injuries at the time of capture.