Coping and Post-Traumatic Stress in the Aftermath of University Lockdowns

Approximately 90% of adults experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, with 10% going on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Given its elevated prevalence among vulnerable populations, understanding how coping strategies relate to post-traumatic recovery is crucial. In light of increased frequencies of weapon-related lockdowns in schools and universities, it is important to identify people at heightened risk for prolonged distress. Utilizing a sample of university community members (N = 287) exposed to two weapon-related campus lockdowns, the present study examined associations between coping strategies and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Participants completed self-report measures of coping, post-traumatic stress, general distress, and post-traumatic cognitions. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses tested whether dysfunctional coping predicted post-traumatic stress symptoms above and beyond emotion-focused coping, problem-focused coping, general distress, and post-traumatic cognitions. Partially supporting hypotheses, dysfunctional coping was positively associated with post-traumatic symptoms at 13 and 21 weeks post-lockdown after accounting for other coping styles, but this association became nonsignificant after controlling for general distress and post-traumatic cognitions. Emotion-focused and problem-focused coping did not emerge as significant predictors in either statistical model. In line with the cognitive-behavioral model of PTSD, these findings support prior research suggesting that maladaptive coping strategies, but not other types of coping, are associated with increased PTSS following exposure to traumatic events. Further research examining coping as a context-dependent process across diverse populations may inform assessment efforts and help identify factors that contribute to prolonged distress among university students exposed to large-scale traumatic events.