title: The effects of extraversion, social support on the posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth of adolescent survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among extraversion, social support, posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among adolescent survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred thirty-eight participants were selected from the survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Participants completed four main questionnaires, including the Extraversion Subscale, the Social Support Scale, the Child PTSD Symptom Scale, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A bivariate correlation analysis revealed significant correlations among extraversion, social support, posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth. Extraversion had significant indirect effects on posttraumatic stress disorder (β = -.037, p < .01) and posttraumatic growth (β = .077, p < .001) through social support. The results also indicated that extraversion had a significant direct effect on posttraumatic growth and a nonsignificant direct effect on posttraumatic stress disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social support fully mediates the relationship between extraversion and posttraumatic stress disorder and partially mediates the relationship between extraversion and posttraumatic growth. Psychological interventions and care for survivors of the earthquake should include the various functions and sources of social support and how they serve to benefit individuals.
authors: Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors: Xuji
authors: X
authors: Jia
authors: Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.
authors: Liuhua
authors: L
authors: Ying
authors: Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Zhou
authors: Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors: Xinchun
authors: X
authors: Wu
authors: Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors: Chongde
authors: C
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D055866:Earthquakes; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology