title: Brief report: Self-blame and PTSD symptoms in adolescents exposed to terrorism: is school connectedness a mediator?
abstract: Previous research has shown that self-blame predicts increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in youth exposed to terrorism, but little is known about the factors mediating such relationship. This study aimed to explore whether school connectedness (SC) mediates the effect of self-blame on PTSD in 60 adolescents (aged 14-18 years) who survived the 2004 terrorist attack against school no. 1 in Beslan, Russia. Participants completed measures of coping, SC, and PTSD three years after the traumatic event. Endorsement of self-blaming behaviors was found to be significantly positively related to the presence of PTSD; self-blame was negatively associated with SC, which in turn was negatively related to PTSD. The mediation hypothesis was supported, with SC partially mediating the link between self-blame and PTSD. Adolescents affected by terrorism may benefit from school-based interventions aimed at fostering students' sense of belonging and emotional bonding to teachers, peers, and the school environment.
authors: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padua, Italy. Electronic address: ughetta.moscardino@unipd.it.
authors: Ughetta
authors: U
authors: Moscardino
authors: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padua, Italy.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Scrimin
authors: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padua, Italy.
authors: Fabia
authors: F
authors: Capello
authors: Department of Pedagogy, Psychology and Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors: Gianmarco
authors: G
authors: Altoè
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012574:Schools; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D023481:Terrorism / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Adolescents; Posttraumatic stress disorder; School connectedness; Self-blame; Terrorism