Examining the effects of traumatic event exposure and somatic symptoms on emotional exhaustion: The mediating role of social support and self-esteem

In the current study we examined factors contributing to emotional exhaustion, examining traumatic event exposure and somatic symptoms as explaining individual differences in emotional exhaustion, directly and indirectly through their effects on social support and self-esteem. Four hundred-and-ninety-seven respondents from Israel’s general population were examined using self-report measures, and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the expected associations. The relationships between traumatic event exposure, somatic symptoms, and emotional exhaustion were mediated by self-esteem, whereas social support did not mediate these relationships. Somatic symptoms were found to have both direct and indirect associations with emotional exhaustion. The research findings indicate the important role of somatic symptoms with direct and indirect effects on emotional exhaustion and point to the important role of self-esteem as a vital component of psychological resources, mediating the relationship between traumatic event exposure/somatic symptoms and emotional exhaustion. The study’s implications and limitations are discussed.