Exposure to traumatic war events and neuroticism: the mediating role of attributing meaning

The present study examines the hypothesis that the experience of wartime stress may change a certain aspect of an individualʹs personality, in particular the personality trait of neuroticism defined as ʹproneness to distressing emotional statesʹ such as anxiety, depression, and anger. The subjects are a random community sample of 455 Dutch survivors of World War II. A theoretical model is formulated and tested by linear structural equation modeling. The relationship between wartime stress and the personality trait of neuroticism turned out to be fully mediated by the development of a negative world view. Therefore, empirical support was found for the notion that traumatic events force the survivor to change the personal theory of the world and make him, or her, more vulnerable to distressing emotional states and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The results are discussed in a cognitive psychological perspective.