青少年创伤后应激症状对反社会行为的影响:述情障碍与复原力的作用

Relation between Adolescents’Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Antisocial Behaviors:The Roles of Alexithymia and Resilience

为考察青少年创伤后应激症状(PTSS)、述情障碍、复原力与反社会行为之间的关系,研究采用了自陈式量表对九寨沟地震后的621名中学生进行了调查。结果发现,在控制了汶川和九寨沟地震暴露后,PTSS可以直接正向预测反社会行为,也可以通过述情障碍间接地正向预测反社会行为;复原力可以缓解述情障碍和反社会行为,也可以缓冲PTSS对反社会行为的诱发或加剧作用,但不能显著地调节PTSS与述情障碍之间的关系。这些结果说明了在PTSS预测反社会行为的过程中,述情障碍发挥了中介作用,复原力起着调节作用。

As a major traumatic event,Jiuzhaigou earthquake caused a great loss of lives and property,and also led to many psychological problems of the victims.Posttraumatic stress symptoms(PTSS)was considered as one of the most common psychopathological problems.The extant studies also suggested that people who had been exposed to earthquake tended to show some antisocial behaviors(e.g.,aggressive behaviors).Considering the commonality of these problems,it is possible that there is a close association between PTSS and antisocial behaviors among the victims.In light of this,some theoretical and empirical studies discussed and explored their relation,and suggested that the emotional and cognitive changes impaired by PTSS might lead to the victims’antisocial behaviors.Nevertheless,the mechanism underlying the effect of PTSS on antisocial behaviors is still unclear.Related theories suggest that PTSS informs a shattered and biased memory in traumatized individuals,which limit their processing in emotions,therefore,it is difficult for them to distinguish and disclose their emotions.That is,the victims’PTSS may be related to alexithymia,eliciting their dysfunctional emotional regulation,which engenders their anger emotion and antisocial behaviors.Thus,this study proposes that PTSS is related to antisocial behaviors via alexithymia.To date,most studies that focused on the relation between PTSS and antisocial behaviors have overlooked the heterogeneity of the participants’personality.In fact,the personality trait model has suggested that people with different personality traits may show distinct psychological outcomes when they are confronted with a same traumatic event.That is,following the same traumatic event,individuals may show different levels and features in PTSS,alexithymia,and antisocial behaviors.Thus,personality trait may moderate the relations between PTSS,alexithymia,and antisocial behaviors.Previous studies suggested that trait resilience might be an important personality in buffering the negative effect of trauma exposure to people.Resilient individuals can better regulate their cognition and emotions,which may buffer the effects of PTSS on alexithymia and antisocial behaviors.In contrast,individuals with low levels of resilience have more difficulties in regulating their emotions,this will exaggerate the effects of PTSS on alexithymia and antisocial behaviors.Hence,we propose that individuals’resilience moderates the relation among PTSS,alexithymia,and antisocial behaviors.This study used a trauma exposure questionnaire,a PTSD scale,an alexithymia inventory,a resilience scale,and a children behaviors scaleadolescent version,to investigate 621 adolescents following the Jiuzhaigou earthquake.The findings suggested that adolescents’PTSS had a direct association with antisocial behaviors,and had an indirect relation between antisocial behaviors via alexithymia.Adolescents’resilience was negatively associated with alexithymia and antisocial behaviors,and it buffered the relation between PTSS and antisocial behaviors.However,it did not play a buffering role in the relation between PTSS and alexithymia.