The buffering power of overt socially supportive and unsupportive behaviors from the significant other on posttraumatic stress disorder individuals' emotional state.
OBJECTIVE
Social support is one of the three strongest predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the present study, we aimed to assess the buffering power of overt socially supportive and unsupportive behaviors from the significant other, in a group with PTSD and a comparison group.


METHODS
A total of 46 individuals with PTSD and 42 individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or panic disorder (PD) completed diagnostic interviews and an anxiety-oriented social interaction with a significant other. Heart rate of participants was continuously measured during this interaction and overt social behaviors from the significant other were recorded on videotape and coded using a validated system.


RESULTS
Changes in heart rate in PTSD participants correlated negatively with changes in overt socially supportive behaviors from their significant other (r from -.36 to -.50, p < .05), while changes in overt unsupportive social behaviors from their significant other did not yield any significant correlation (r from -.01 to .05, p > .05). No such statistically significant association emerged in the group with OCD or PD (r from .01 to -.27, p > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study sustain the buffering power of overt supportive behaviors from the significant other on heart rate changes in PTSD.
a Trauma Studies Center of Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.|f School of Criminology, University of Montreal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.
Stéphane
S
Guay
a Trauma Studies Center of Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.|b Cognitive and Social Psychophysiology Laboratory of Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.|d Department of Psychology , University of Montreal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.
Nadim
N
Nachar
b Cognitive and Social Psychophysiology Laboratory of Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.|e Department of Psychiatry , University of Montreal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.
Marc E
ME
Lavoie
a Trauma Studies Center of Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.|g Department of Psychology , University of Quebec in Montreal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.
André
A
Marchand
b Cognitive and Social Psychophysiology Laboratory of Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.|c Obsessional-Compulsive Disorders and Tics Study Center of Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.|e Department of Psychiatry , University of Montreal , Montreal , Quebec , Canada.
Kieron P
KP
O'Connor
D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Posttraumatic stress disorder; heart rate; obsessive-compulsive disorder; overt supportive and unsupportive social interactions; panic disorder