Coping with post‐traumatic stress symptoms following relationship dissolution

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between post‐traumatic stress symptoms resulting from relationship dissolution and coping style. The hypothesis was that some degree of post‐traumatic stress symptoms would be evident among the sample and that the coping strategies of seeking social support, escape–avoidance, self‐controlling and accepting responsibility would be associated with such symptoms. Eighty‐eight university students who had experienced the dissolution of a romantic relationship over the preceding 24 months participated in the research. They were interviewed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WOC). The results showed that the mean score of intrusion was slightly higher than that of avoidance. The sample scored significantly higher in the IES items than one standardized sample of medical students but significantly lower in intrusion than another standardized sample of clinical patients. Fifty‐one per cent of the sample scored above the cut‐off of the GHQ. The results also showed that both intrusion and avoidance were significantly correlated with all GHQ items. The sample used the self‐controlling coping strategy the most, followed by escape–avoidance and positive reappraisal. The sample also employed coping strategies of distancing and seeking social support. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that escape–avoidance, distancing, seeking social support and planful problem solving were significant predictors to the IES total. Escape–avoidance and accepting responsibility were significant predictors to the IES intrusion. Escape–avoidance and distancing were significant predictors to the IES avoidance. Escape–avoidance was the only significant predictor to the GHQ total.