| Traumatic stressors, including those that occur early in life, can lead to symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. There are, however, numerous factors that have been associated with the effects of stressors being less pronounced. The present investigation examined whether social support and resilience factors were associated with lower levels of stress-related pathology. Questionnaires that assessed childhood maltreatment, coping, social support, resilience, and symptoms of PTSD and depression were completed. It appeared that resilience mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and symptoms of PTSD in adulthood (and depression in a second model), and that the strength of this relationship depended on the level of social support. A multiple mediation revealed that resilience factors related to "tenacity", "acceptance of change and secure relationships", and "control" mediated between childhood maltreatment and symptoms of PTSD, while "acceptance of change and secure relationships", and "control" were predictive of decreased symptoms of depression. |
