Citation

Pham PN, Vinck P, Kinkodi DK, Weinstein HM. J. Trauma. Stress 2010; 23(3): 313-321.

Affiliation

Human Rights Center and School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley and Payson Center for International Development, Tulane University, USA. ppham1@berkeley.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jts.20527

PMID

20564363

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the scene of some of the worst atrocities in recent history. However, in the face of traumatic experience, only a minority of people develops symptoms that impair their functioning. The sense of coherence proposed by Antonovsky (1987) is a theoretical construct reflecting an individual's overall wellbeing and ability to cope with stress. This study explores the relationships between sense of coherence, exposure to traumatic events, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Results suggest an association between a high sense of coherence and high education levels, high income, and positive social relationships. Furthermore, the study found that sense of coherence is inversely correlated with cumulative exposure to violence and symptoms of PTSD and depression.

Language: en