Background
The effect of hurricanes can be disastrous for a community. Beyond the destruction and the economic impact, hurricanes have been linked to increases of post-traumatic stress disorders. Scientists have been investigating how self-compassion might help hurricane survivors facilitate social support and reduce posttraumatic stress symptoms. The theory suggests that enhancing ones’ personal resources, these individuals are better primed for increased social connection. This sociability may even protect and reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms following a hurricane.
The Study
A research team investigated the impact of self-compassion on posttraumatic stress symptoms via increased sense of social support in a sample of hurricane survivors using a longitudinal study design. The longitudinal design asked 261 hurricane survivors to assess the effects of the hurricane, levels of self-compassion, perceived social support, and PTSD symptoms at the start of the study, three months after, and again six months later. Importantly, this study included a diverse sample that identified as racially-diverse and low-income, which place some communities at higher risk of trauma.
The Results
The study found that these hurricane survivors report a high hurricane stress exposure. After controlling for the effects of the exposure, they found that self-compassion at the baseline assessment predicts a lower incident of post-traumatic stress at the final time point and that this effect was influenced by the participants’ sense of social support at the three month assessment. This provides a valuable indication that self-compassion and perceived social support might have indirect positive influence on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms following a natural disaster such as a hurricane. Teams that assist disaster zones might include self-compassion training as a part of their response protocols to optimize care and support in these vulnerable communities.