Trauma and well-being in terrorism survivors in Spain

Long after terrorist attacks, victims may experience both trauma-related symptoms and levels of psychological well-being. This paper aimed to examine: (1) the relationship between overall PTSD and well-being; and (2) the associations among different PTSD symptom clusters, well-being, and daily functioning in 87 adult victims of jihadist and nationalist separatist terrorism in Madrid and Andalusia. The Posttraumatic Stress Questionnaire and the Psychological Well-being Questionnaire were administered. The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between PTSD symptoms and well-being. Among the PTSD symptoms, intrusions were the most prevalent, while alterations in mood and cognition, as well as alterations in arousal and reactivity were the most distressing. These latter symptoms also showed the strongest correlations with well-being and daily functioning. Multivariate analyses indicated that symptoms related to mood/cognition and arousal/reactivity uniquely predicted variance in well-being. This study highlights how different PTSD symptom clusters are related to well-being, suggesting important implications for targeted interventions.