March 3, 2026European journal of psychotraumatology0 citationsOpen Access

Do personality traits explain the adjustment? A study of civilian victims of war in Ukraine

POPiotr OleśUniwersytet SWPS JKJan KutnikJohn Paul II Catholic University of Lublin ASAlicja Senejko

Key Points

Emotional stability significantly correlates with reduced PTSD symptoms among Ukrainian refugees, indicating its importance in adjustment.
The study observed a 26% variance in PTSD symptoms explained by personality traits alone, increasing to 30% with attachment styles considered.
Cross-sectional study involved 160 Ukrainian civilian refugees who completed assessments of personality and trauma outcomes.
Findings suggest trait-informed screening could aid in identifying individuals at risk for severe distress; further exploration needed.

Abstract

Introduction: Forced migration exposes civilians to multiple potentially traumatic events. Personality traits may shape individual differences in adjustment, yet their role in refugee populations remains underexplored.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 160 Ukrainian civilian refugees (75% female; Mage = 33.0, SD = 13.9) who completed standardized measures of personality, attachment, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and posttraumatic growth (PTG).Results: Emotional Stability showed a large negative association with PTSD symptoms. In regression models, personality traits explained 26% of the variance in PTSD symptoms, increasing to 30% when attachment styles were included. By contrast, traits explained only 6% of variance in posttraumatic growth, rising to 9% after accounting for parental-closeness variables.Conclusions: Emotional Stability is a robust correlate of PTSD severity in this refugee sample, while personality and attachment play a limited role in posttraumatic growth. These findings suggest that trait-informed screening may help identify individuals at risk for severe posttraumatic distress.

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