title: The existential effects of traumatic experiences: a survey of young adults.
abstract: This study examined the relation between exposure to trauma and attitudes toward existential issues. Participants were 504 undergraduate students (average age = 19.67) who answered questions on exposure to trauma, fear of death, overall distress, and meaning in life. Results indicated that those with a history of trauma exposure had higher levels of overall distress, but there were no differences in death anxiety or meaning in life. The results suggest that the positive outcomes (less fear of death and increased meaning in life) associated with exposure to traumatic events may be relatively rare, especially amongst younger adults.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Nevada, Box 455030, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5030, USA. mfloyd@ccmail.nevada.edu
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Floyd
authors.forename: Carissima
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coulon
authors.forename: Alejandro P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Yanez
authors.forename: Marcus T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lasota
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003643:Death; D005086:Existentialism / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014481:United States