The Relationship Between Neuroticism and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The article focuses on research in determining any direct relationship between neuroticism levels and the various mechanisms that support posttraumatic stress disorder.
Study #1: Cognitive Processes of Neuroticism and Symptom Severity
The researchers examine two studies to find ways in which the cognitive processes of neuroticism lead to increased symptom severity of posttraumatic stress disorder. The researchers hypothesized that neuroticism is a type of disposition in temperaments where the patients experience negative and persistent thoughts that the environment is dangerous and threatening and the posttraumatic stress disorder is a form of psychopathology associated with the trait. Sufficient empirical data indicates that the severity of the symptoms and the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder is directly connected to the effects of neuroticism, but there is limited research regarding the connection. The study also hypothesis that the centrality, rehearsal, and emotionality of the memories in most of the traumatic experiences are primarily contributed by neuroticism which further adds to posttraumatic stress disorder. Most individuals with high levels of neuroticism have their autobiographical memories more viscerally and emotionally intense, both voluntary and involuntary rehearsed and crucial to their identity.
Study #2: Real-World Implications of Neuroticism on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The study was appealing for basing the main arguments in the work of other, and the methodology is simple and doable meaning that the research can be replicated. The research is essential as it addresses, directly and indirectly, a real-world problem of the effect of neuroticism of increasing the symptom severity of posttraumatic stress disorder by contributing to centrality, rehearsal, and emotionality of the trauma memories. Majority of individuals in the world are subject to a posttraumatic stress disorder which is a mental well-being condition that is usually activated by witnessing or experiencing frightening events such as severe anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, and uncontrollable thoughts and activities. The findings of the research are valid and verifiable based on the various methods used to collect data to make the conclusions.
Research Studies on Neuroticism and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The research consists of two studies involving individuals in a community that exhibit different levels of trauma severity, and the assessment criteria include posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity, trauma memory characteristics, negative affectivity, and neuroticism. The primary goal of the first study included using longitudinal information from nonmedical samples from adults with previous cases of traumatic experiences and with different levels of severity. Specifically, the study sought to determine how higher neuroticism levels predict greater centrality of trauma memories, rehearsal, and emotionality. The second study involved individuals identified in the first study and exposing them to various levels of traumatic events that differed in severity. The research design employed is correlational as it explores and observes the relationship between the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder and neuroticism levels.
Results and Limitations
The results of the first study indicated that higher levels of neuroticism increased trauma memory centrality, rehearsal, and emotionality which in turn amplifies the symptom severity of posttraumatic stress disorder. Notably, the posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were found to be severe among adults experiencing properties of trauma memories. However, there was no single effect of neuroticism found to affect symptom severity of the posttraumatic stress disorder. The results of the second study indicated that the participants experienced different levels of trauma with varying prevalence rates. The limitations of the study included using cross-sectional data in concluding the first research and the various measures of memory rehearsal were subject to errors. The researchers have indicated that future research should focus on exploring the possibilities having treatments that reduce the posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among individuals with high neuroticism levels.
