Social Support and Recovery from PTSD

Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate the psychological and social adjustment of parents whose adolescent children had experienced a disaster. Mediating factors were considered; such as whether the child developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dysfunctional attitudes, other intervening life events, and especially, social support. Method: Participants were 37 women whose adolescent children had survived the ‘Jupiter’ sinking in 1988. Subjects were divided into a subgroup of women (n=20) whose children had PTSD, and a subgroup (n=17) whose children did not develop PTSD. Comparison groups were widows (n=18), and women who had suffered no major negative life events (n=15). Measurements were done on the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Lifetime Version (SADS-L), the Social Adjustment Scale (SAS), and other questionnaires. Results: Mean total scores on social support in all groups in comparison with SADS-L scores, showed a significant correlation with the post-event panic disorder and a trend of negative correlation with all post-event psychopathologies. Conclusion: Results supported the hypothesis that social support was probably a protective factor for the participants in this study.