Citation

Littleton H, Grills-Taquechel AE, Axsom DK. Violence Vict. 2009; 24(5): 669-686.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. littletonh@ecu.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Springer Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

19852406

Abstract

We examined risk factors for posttrauma symptomatology, 2 and 6 months following the April 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech. Using a conservation of resources framework and a Web-based survey methodology, we prospectively evaluated the relations among preshooting distress, social support, resource loss, and posttrauma symptomatology in a sample of 293 female students enrolled at the university at the time of the shootings. Structural equation modeling supported that preshooting social support and distress predicted resource loss postshooting. Resource loss predicted symptomatology 2 months and 6 months after the shooting. Implications of the results for research and intervention following mass trauma are discussed.

Language: en