Are trauma narratives unique and do they predict psychological adjustment?
Community-dwelling adults (N = 104) aged 20- to 99-years-old told narratives about neutral, positive, and worst traumatic events; they also completed mental health questionnaires. Consistent with previous research, trauma narratives were longer, and contained more somatosensory and negative bodily experience detail. Recent trauma was associated with more somatosensory detail. Longer trauma narratives were associated with better psychological adjustment, whereas negative bodily experiences related to poorer psychological adjustment and more posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results provide some support for unique trauma narrative characteristics indicative of psychological adjustment among community-dwelling adults.
Beaudreau
Sherry A
SA
Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA. Sherry.Beaudreau@va.gov
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011379:Prognosis; D012660:Semantics; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*