Trauma as an objective or subjective experience: The association between types of traumatic events, personality traits, subjective experience of the event, and posttraumatic symptoms

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to examine the discrete effect of objective (type of trauma and demographic characteristics) and subjective (proximity to the trauma, subjective experience of the trauma as a threat, the Big Five personality traits, and dissociative symptoms) factors on the risk for PTSD among 1,210 undergraduate students. The findings indicate that survivors of physical/sexual assault scored the highest on proximity to the trauma, subjective experience of the trauma as a threat, neuroticism, dissociation, and PTSD symptoms. In addition, subjective experience of the trauma, proximity to it, type of trauma, dissociation, and neuroticism were associated with the risk for PTSD symptoms. The findings point to the significance of both subjective and objective variables in the risk for PTSD symptoms.

KEYWORDS:

• Dissociation
• PTSD
• personality traits
• traumatic events

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael Weinberg

Michael Weinberg is a lawyer and a social worker as well as a lecturer and head of Trauma Studies at the School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel.

Sharon Gil

Sharon Gil is a clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and clinical supervisor; senior lecturer; head of the MA and supplementary programs; and head of the unit for treating adult male survivors of sexual abuse, The Interdisciplinary Clinical Center, School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel.