Life satisfaction in people with post-traumatic stress disorder

Karatzias, Thanos; Chouliara, Zoë; Power, Kevin; Brown, Keith; Begum, Millia; McGoldrick, Therese; MacLean, Rory

Abstract

Background/Aims
There is limited research on the association between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and life satisfaction in community samples. We set out to investigate levels of life satisfaction and its demographic, trauma related and clinical predictors in a sample of people with PTSD (n  =  46).

Methods
Participants completed a battery of standardised self-report measures including Satisfaction with Life Scale, the PTSD Checklist and The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results
Our results indicated that people with moderately severe PTSD in the community are likely to experience lower levels of life satisfaction compared with those with other psychiatric conditions or those without any diagnoses. Multivariate analysis revealed that marital status and trauma symptoms were the only significant predictors of life satisfaction. In specific, being married and presenting with less severe posttraumatic symptomatology were both significantly associated with higher levels of life satisfaction in people with PTSD.

Conclusions
The strong association between traumatic symptomatology and life satisfaction may indicate that routine assessment for life satisfaction or similar positive constructs in people with PTSD, referred for psychological therapies might be useful. Information on positive psychology constructs may facilitate capitalising on clients' strengths and not just on pathology.

Citation

Karatzias, T., Chouliara, Z., Power, K., Brown, K., Begum, M., McGoldrick, T., & MacLean, R. (2013). Life satisfaction in people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Mental Health, 22(6), 501-508. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638237.2013.819418

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Nov 8, 2013
• Publication Date: 2013-12
• Deposit Date: May 26, 2015
• Journal: Journal of Mental Health
• Print ISSN: 0963-8237
• Electronic ISSN: 1360-0567
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 501-508
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/09638237.2013.819418
• Keywords: post-traumatic stress disorder; life satisfaction; marital status and relationships
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/8326