The Bidirectional Dyadic Association Between Tendency to Forgive, Self‐Esteem, Social Support, and PTSD Symptoms Among Terror‐Attack Survivors and Their Spouses

Abstract

This study examined the dyadic association of terror attack survivors’ and spouses’ internal resources, tendency to forgive (self, others,and situational forgiveness), self-esteem, and the external resource of social support, as associated with victims’ and spouses’ posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, using the actor–partner interdependence model. Based on lists by the One Family organization in Israel, 108 couples participated in the study. The study results demonstrate that in the dyad relationship, survivors’ tenden cyto forgive others and social support relate both to survivors’ decreased levels of PTSD symptom severity (β = −.20, p = .021;β =−.55 p < .001) and spouses’ decreased levels of PTSD symptom severity (β =−.21, p = .015; β =−.27, p = . 004), whereas spouses’ self-esteem relates to both spouses’ and survivors’ decreased levels of PTSD symptom severity (β =−.57, p < .001; β =−.14, p = .041).The findings underscore the role of the survivor–spouse unit by highlighting the dyad relationship of internal and external resources as associated with both survivors’ and spouses’ PTSD symptoms. Theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Cognitive and emotional predictors of episodic and dispositional forgiveness

“…However, results of the studies that include only one trait are inconsistent (Brown & Phillips, 2005;Turnage et al, 2012;Weinberg, 2013;Macaskill, 2012;Sastre et al, 2003) . Our findings might indicate that positive psychological characteristics are important for positive forgivingness but they are meaningless for reducing the negative tendency to forgive.…”

“…Researchers have verified this implication. They found associations between self-esteem and both types of forgiveness -episodic (Eaton, Struthers, & Santelli, 2006) and dispositional (Eaton, Struthers, & Santelli, 2006;Turnage et al, 2012;Weinberg, 2013;Shuguang et al, 2016). Their results have indicated that the higher a person's self-esteem, the less likely they were to avoid or seek revenge against a transgressor (Eaton, Struthers, & Santelli, 2006).…”

“…Their results have indicated that the higher a person's self-esteem, the less likely they were to avoid or seek revenge against a transgressor (Eaton, Struthers, & Santelli, 2006). In addition, people with high self-esteem usually have a high level of forgiveness for themselves and for others both in nonclinical (Turnage et al, 2012) and clinical (Weinberg, 2013) groups. Eaton, Struthers, and Santelli (2006) found that self-esteem, besides narcissism and need for structure, significantly predicted dispositional and episodic forgiveness.…”

Determinants of psychological resistance and recovery among women exposed to assaultive trauma

“…Perceived social support, rather than the actual support received, plays an important role in predicting psychological well‐being and HRQOL (Cook et al. , Weinberg ). In contrast, impaired social support is one of the most powerful risk factors for PTSD vulnerability (Brewin et al , Ozer et al ), as well as depression (Cruwys et al , Lindfors et al ).…”

“…Therefore, any resilience building initiative requires an initial identification of patients with impoverished mastery, so treatment access and adherence may be facilitated. Perceived social support, rather than the actual support received, plays an important role in predicting psychological well-being and HRQOL (Cook et al 2009, Weinberg 2013. In contrast, impaired social support is one of the most powerful risk factors for PTSD vulnerability (Brewin et al 2000, Ozer et al 2003, as well as depression (Cruwys et al 2013, Lindfors et al 2014.…”