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Abstract Conceptual and situational variables were investigated in relation to the presence or absense of a post-traumatic stres (PTS) response after exposure to a mass murder. The first hypothesis set–that symptomatic response to trauma can be predicted by exposure, prior trauma response, pretrauma anxiety, and available social suppot–was generally supported by the data. Even stronger supports was found for a second hypothesis–that extent of conceptual procesing of the trauma would discriminate between persons who exhibit a PTS response initially but quickly resolve the distress and persons who remain symptomatic. These findings are discussed in relation to a constructivist model of post-traumatic stress disorder and other relevant literature.
Kenneth W. Sewell (Mon,) studied this question.