Finding social benefits after a collective trauma: perceiving societal changes and well-being following 9/11.
Individuals frequently perceive positive changes in themselves following adversity; after a collective trauma, they may perceive such benefits in others or in their society as well. We examined perceived benefits of the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks in a 3-year study of a national sample of adults (N = 1382). Many individuals (57.8%) perceived social benefits of 9/11, including increased prosocial behavior, religiousness, or political engagement. Individuals who found increased national religiosity as a benefit 2 months post-9/11 reported greater positive affect and life satisfaction and lower distress and posttraumatic stress up to 3 years post-9/11. Pre-9/11 religiousness and Republican political affiliation predicted perceiving religion-related social benefits post-9/11. Perceptions of social change are important but understudied responses to stressful events.
Poulin
Michael J
MJ
Department of Psychology, State University of New York-Buffalo, Buffalo, NY NY 14260-4110, USA. mjpoulin@buffalo.edu
Silver
Roxane Cohen
RC
Gil-Rivas
Virginia
V
Holman
E Alison
EA
McIntosh
Daniel N
DN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks / Q000523:psychology*; D012922:Social Change; D014481:United States; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult