Fear Generalisation, Social Support, And PTSD Symptoms In Dutch Police Recruits
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2021-02-01
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en
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Abstract
Deviations in fear conditioning and poor social support have been identified as important
vulnerability factors for the development of PTSD. The current longitudinal research followed
262 Dutch police recruits (75% male) as they were repeatedly exposed to potential traumatic
events in the line of duty, in order to examine the role of fear generalisation on PTSD symptoms.
In a fear conditioning task, the recruits were exposed to images of three different context of
which only one was followed by an electrical stimulus (i.e. the threat context). The recruits
were asked to point out the threat context directly after the experiment (i.e. Wave 1), and 16
months later (i.e. Wave 2). The current research examined whether the tendency to generalise
fear across contexts was related to the development of PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, it was
examined whether social support moderated the effect between fear generalisation and PTSD
symptoms. Results indicate that direct overgeneralisation of the threat context is associated with
existing PTSD symptoms. On the other hand, the ability to point out the correct threat context
both at the baseline and at the follow up, was associated with an increase in PTSD symptoms
over time. No evidence for the moderating role of social support was found.
Keywords: PTSD, police, fear conditioning, generalisation, social support
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen