Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Marital Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Forgiveness |
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| Authors: | ZAHAVA SOLOMON PHD RACHEL DEKEL PHD GADI ZERACH PHD |
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| Institution: | 1. Bob Shappell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel;2. School of Social Work, Bar‐Ilan University, Ramat‐Gan, Israel;3. Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ariel University Center of Samaria, Ariel, Israel |
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| Abstract: | The study assessed the effects of war captivity on posttraumatic stress symptoms and marital adjustment among Prisoners of War (POWs) from the Yom Kippur War. It was hypothesized that men's perception of level of forgiveness mediates the relation between posttraumatic symptoms and marital adjustment. The sample consisted of 157 Israeli veterans divided into 3 groups: 21 POWs with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), 58 former POWs without PTSD, and 70 control veterans. The findings indicated that former POWs with PTSD reported lower levels of marital satisfaction and forgiveness than veterans in the other 2 groups. In addition, men's perception of level of forgiveness mediated the relationship between their posttraumatic symptoms and their marital adjustment. The theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | Posttraumatic Symptoms Forgiveness POWs Marital Adjustment |
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