@article{ref1,
title="General self-efficacy and posttraumatic stress after a natural disaster: a longitudinal study",
journal="BMC psychology",
year="2016",
author="Nygaard, Egil and Hussain, Ajmal and Siqveland, Johan and Heir, Trond",
volume="4",
number="1",
pages="e15-e15",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy may be an important factor in individuals' recovery from posttraumatic stress reactions after a natural disaster. However, few longitudinal studies have investigated whether self-efficacy predicts the course of posttraumatic recovery beyond lower initial levels of distress. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether general self-efficacy is related to recovery from posttraumatic stress reactions from a longitudinal perspective. <br><br>METHODS: A total of 617 Norwegians exposed to the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami completed self-report questionnaires measuring their level of disaster exposure and general self-efficacy at 6 months and posttraumatic stress reactions 6 months and 2 years post-disaster. Predictors of changes in posttraumatic stress reactions were analyzed with multivariate mixed effects models. <br><br>RESULTS: Self-efficacy at 6 months post-disaster was unrelated to trauma exposure and inversely related to posttraumatic stress reactions at 6 months and 2 years post-disaster. However, self-efficacy was not related to recovery from posttraumatic stress reactions between 6 months and 2 years post-disaster. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, general self-efficacy is related to lower levels of posttraumatic stress reactions in the first months after a disaster but does not appear to be related to improved recovery rates over the longer term.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2050-7283",
doi="10.1186/s40359-016-0119-2",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40359-016-0119-2"
}