Modelling life satisfaction and adjustment to trauma in children exposed to ongoing military violence: An exploratory study in Palestine |
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| Institution: | 1. University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy;2. Remedial Education Centre, Gaza Strip, oPt;1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, E-19, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA;2. Observation Unit, Emergency Services Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, E-19, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA;1. Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York;2. International Rescue Committee, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;3. International Rescue Committee, New York, New York;4. Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, New York;1. Edinburgh Napier University, School of Health & Social Care, Edinburgh, UK;2. NHS Lothian, Rivers Centre for Traumatic Stress, Edinburgh, UK;3. NHS Tayside, Psychological Therapies Service, Dundee, UK;4. University of Stirling, School Of Natural Sciences, Stirling, UK;5. Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Glasgow, UK;6. Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK;1. School of Health and Society, Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia;2. Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan, Kawangjangsa, Thimphu, Bhutan;3. Institute of Health Partners, Thimphu, Bhutan;4. World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia, New Delhi, India |
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| Abstract: | Exposure to war and ongoing political violence increases mental health risks among children, especially in terms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depressive or somatic symptoms. However, an exclusive focus on negative functioning can lead to underestimating the coping abilities and natural potential for adjusting to trauma of war-affected children at different developmental phases. Using structural equation modelling, we tested the extent to which data gathered in a predominantly nonclinical sample of Palestinian children (N = 1276) living in refugee camps supported a conceptual model in which the relationship between subjective wellbeing and the effects of trauma is mainly top-down in direction. The cross-sectional design adopted showed that feelings of life satisfaction contributed to better affect balance in children (aged 6–11 years), which in turn, mitigated the impact of traumatic events. These findings point up the importance of dimensions of subjective well-being in children involved in traumatic events and may inspire intervention and treatment focused on the ability to activate positive emotions as a crucial resource for dealing with traumatic reactions. |
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| Keywords: | Life satisfaction Positive and negative affect Trauma-protective factors War-like conditions |
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