). Posttraumatic stress disorder and death anxiety among Iraqi civilians exposed to a suicide car bombing: the role of religious coping and attachment

Abstract

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of a bombing has been studied in the literature. Limited studies have focused attention on PTSD following a suicide car bombing. However, more research is needed to explore the risk factors for this psychological response. Aims: To examine a hypothesised model that death anxiety would be associated with PTSD and psychiatric comorbidity following a suicide car bombing, and that attachment styles and religious coping would influence the impact of this anxiety on distress outcomes. Methods: 185 Iraqi civilians exposed to the first suicide car bombing completed questionnaires measuring PTSD, psychiatric comorbidity, death anxiety, religious coping, and attachment experiences. Results: 82% met diagnostic criteria for PTSD, the remainder did not. Path analysis showed that death anxiety was significantly correlated with psychiatric comorbidity; it was also correlated with attachment, which was correlated with psychiatric comorbidity. Death anxiety was also significantly correlated with religious coping, which was correlated with both distress outcomes. Conclusions: Although Iraqi civilians reported increased death anxiety following a suicide car bombing, those who used religion to cope with the traumatic experience and had functional attachment experiences in the past reported low levels of psychological distress.