Posttraumatic symptoms, depression, and anxiety of flood victims: The impact of the belief in a just world

In a questionnaire study with 112 German flood victims we investigated the influence of the belief in a just world (BJW) on important dimensions of mental health and psychopathology (e.g., depression). We hypothesized that BJW is able to buffer psychopathological symptoms following a natural disaster. Regression analyses showed that personal but not general BJW was negatively associated with anxiety, depression and general psychological distress. This pattern of results persisted when controlled for age, sex, substantial stressors and losses caused by the flood. Contrary to our expectations, BJW did not reveal an association with posttraumatic symptomatology, which is interpreted by referring to recent models of cognitive processing in PTSD. Overall, our results support the assertion that BJW buffers mental health.