Evaluation of premorbid personality factors and pre-event posttraumatic stress symptoms in the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms associated with a bus explosion in Israel

This study examined the role played by indicators of premorbid personality in the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The initial sample consisted of 185 undergraduate students who had coincidentally been evaluated for their PTSS levels 2 weeks prior to a terrorist explosion. A week after the explosion, the sample was assessed to determine the extent of actual exposure. Of the initial 185 students, 81 reported being exposed and thus constituted the final cohort. They were reevaluated at 1 month after the explosion. Both assessments included personality and PTSS evaluation. Data analyses revealed five positive predictors of PTSS levels: high pre-attack PTSS levels, personal exposure, significant other's exposure, indirect exposure, and high premorbid levels on the harm avoidance personality dimension.