Associations between self and other representations and posttraumatic adjustment among political prisoners

Abstract

The content and structure of self and other representations and their association with posttraumatic stress symptoms, somatic symptoms, and positive growth were studied among 117 Palestinian male political prisoners. Further, the associations between the representations and the severity of trauma and the post-detention conditions (such as education, place of residency and employment), and the role of representation patterns as a moderator between trauma exposure and symptoms was studied. Cluster analysis identified three representation patterns based on participants' descriptions of their spouse and themselves, and of childhood relationships with their mother and father. Representation patterns differed in negative vs. positive content and in the levels of differentiation and conceptual maturity: The Malevolent Others and Defeated Self representation pattern was characterized by very negative content, and …