title: Comparing perceived self-efficacy among adolescent Bosnian and Croatian refugees with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: To examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and perceived self-efficacy (PSE), 98 Bosnian and Croatian refugees, ages 13-18, completed Bandura's Children's Multidimensional Scales of Perceived Self-Efficacy, which measure self-predicted social functioning in 9 areas. Through interviews, participants were categorized according to DSM-IV criteria as traumatized PTSD-positive, traumatized PTSD-negative, and nontraumatized. ANCOVAs showed PTSD-positive participants exhibit higher PSE than nontraumatized participants in 5 of 9 areas. No significant differences among 3 female groups were observed; however, nontraumatized boys demonstrated lower PSE than the 2 traumatized groups in 7 of 9 areas. Thus, PTSD did not have a negative impact on PSE in this cultural context. Furthermore, surviving traumatic experience and preserving social support networks may be protective factors for maintaining high levels of PSE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ferren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D014857:Warfare