RESEARCH PAPER
Posttraumatic stress symptoms in women with gynaecologic pathology: the role of temperament, self-esteem and mental health
1
Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
2
Institute of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
3
Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Medical Centre, Goleniów, Poland
Submission date: 2016-03-18
Final revision date: 2016-06-23
Acceptance date: 2016-07-05
Online publication date: 2016-08-09
Publication date: 2016-12-05
Current Issues in Personality Psychology 2016;4(4):196-205
KEYWORDS
gynaecologyMental Healthposttraumatic stress symptomsself-esteemtemperamenttraumamental healthgynaecologic diseases
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background
Women with gynaecological pathology are affected by diseases associated with their femininity, attractiveness and fertility. Diseases like these can potentially be sources of trauma for women. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate temperament traits, self-esteem and mental health dimensions that may contribute to the intensity of trauma in hospitalized women.
Participants and procedure
The study was conducted on 136 women aged from 18 to 60, hospitalized for a variety of gynaecological diseases. The level of trauma symptoms was assessed with the PTSD-Factorial Version inventory. Temperament traits were assessed with the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour – Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), self-esteem was measured using the Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory, and mental health was diagnosed with the General Health Questionnaire – 28 items.
Results
Emotional reactivity and anxiety symptoms increase trauma symptom intensity in gynaecological patients, whereas briskness, endurance and lovability as a dimension of self-esteem may serve as protective buffers against intensification of trauma symptoms. Together, emotional reactivity, anxiety symptoms and lovability account for 48% of the variance of trauma intensity symptoms.
Conclusions
Emotional reactivity and anxiety symptoms increase trauma symptom intensity in gynaecological patients, whereas lovability as a dimension of self-esteem (and to a lesser extent briskness and endurance as temperament traits) may serve as protective buffers against intensification of trauma symptoms. The findings may have implications for the social support programmes that may be arranged for gynaecological patients.
Women with gynaecological pathology are affected by diseases associated with their femininity, attractiveness and fertility. Diseases like these can potentially be sources of trauma for women. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate temperament traits, self-esteem and mental health dimensions that may contribute to the intensity of trauma in hospitalized women.
Participants and procedure
The study was conducted on 136 women aged from 18 to 60, hospitalized for a variety of gynaecological diseases. The level of trauma symptoms was assessed with the PTSD-Factorial Version inventory. Temperament traits were assessed with the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour – Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), self-esteem was measured using the Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory, and mental health was diagnosed with the General Health Questionnaire – 28 items.
Results
Emotional reactivity and anxiety symptoms increase trauma symptom intensity in gynaecological patients, whereas briskness, endurance and lovability as a dimension of self-esteem may serve as protective buffers against intensification of trauma symptoms. Together, emotional reactivity, anxiety symptoms and lovability account for 48% of the variance of trauma intensity symptoms.
Conclusions
Emotional reactivity and anxiety symptoms increase trauma symptom intensity in gynaecological patients, whereas lovability as a dimension of self-esteem (and to a lesser extent briskness and endurance as temperament traits) may serve as protective buffers against intensification of trauma symptoms. The findings may have implications for the social support programmes that may be arranged for gynaecological patients.
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