Self-Esteem Stability’s Impact as an Anxiety Buffer on Post Traumatic
Disciplines
Health Psychology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Anxiety Buffer Disruption Theory (ABDT) explains maladaptive responses to traumatic events. Anxiety buffers such as our self-esteem help keep anxiety at bay when our mortality becomes salient. However, when traumatized individuals do not respond to mortality reminders in a psychologically healthy way (i.e., deploying their anxiety buffers in response) symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop.
Self-esteem stability has repeatedly been shown to be a vital variable in psychological wellbeing especially for esteem related disorders such as depression. However, there is little research on the influence of an individual’s self-esteem stability on PTSD.
Adult participants (N = 303) completed a Qualtrics survey designed to assess anxiety buffers, PTSD symptomology, and stability of self-esteem. Germane to this study, the Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale, which measured the participants attitude toward themselves, and the Self-Esteem Stability Scale, a cross-sectional direct self-assessment, were deployed.
Regression coefficients reveal a negative linear relationship between Self Esteem and PTSD symptom severity, and Stability and PTSD symptom severity. However, general self-esteem had a greater impact on the overall model.
The data supports ABDT as traumatized individuals showed lower self-esteem indicating the self-esteem buffer may be disrupted. Stability doesn’t make self-esteem a more effective anxiety buffer in the general population.
In a second study with people who likely have PTSD, stability was a stronger predictor of PTSD symptomology than self-esteem alone.
In this two-part project the difference in the effect of stability between PTSD and other psychiatric issues points to a unique characteristic of PTSD. The unique feature of PTSD symptomology compared to depression may be due to the difference in different overall self-esteem and its stability. This would support the idea of a unique feature of PTSD among other psychiatric disorders.
Clinicians should consider the stability of self-esteem especially when comorbid diagnoses are determined.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Tyler Collette
Self-Esteem Stability’s Impact as an Anxiety Buffer on Post Traumatic
Anxiety Buffer Disruption Theory (ABDT) explains maladaptive responses to traumatic events. Anxiety buffers such as our self-esteem help keep anxiety at bay when our mortality becomes salient. However, when traumatized individuals do not respond to mortality reminders in a psychologically healthy way (i.e., deploying their anxiety buffers in response) symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop.
Self-esteem stability has repeatedly been shown to be a vital variable in psychological wellbeing especially for esteem related disorders such as depression. However, there is little research on the influence of an individual’s self-esteem stability on PTSD.
Adult participants (N = 303) completed a Qualtrics survey designed to assess anxiety buffers, PTSD symptomology, and stability of self-esteem. Germane to this study, the Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale, which measured the participants attitude toward themselves, and the Self-Esteem Stability Scale, a cross-sectional direct self-assessment, were deployed.
Regression coefficients reveal a negative linear relationship between Self Esteem and PTSD symptom severity, and Stability and PTSD symptom severity. However, general self-esteem had a greater impact on the overall model.
The data supports ABDT as traumatized individuals showed lower self-esteem indicating the self-esteem buffer may be disrupted. Stability doesn’t make self-esteem a more effective anxiety buffer in the general population.
In a second study with people who likely have PTSD, stability was a stronger predictor of PTSD symptomology than self-esteem alone.
In this two-part project the difference in the effect of stability between PTSD and other psychiatric issues points to a unique characteristic of PTSD. The unique feature of PTSD symptomology compared to depression may be due to the difference in different overall self-esteem and its stability. This would support the idea of a unique feature of PTSD among other psychiatric disorders.
Clinicians should consider the stability of self-esteem especially when comorbid diagnoses are determined.