LAUSR

OBJECTIVE Examining how exposure to pre-migration war related trauma and duration of living in refugee camp can impact on PTSD and psychiatric morbidity, while assessing the moderating role of trait resilience and coping style. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, exposure to war related trauma and duration of living in refugee camp was evaluated in a sample of 83 asylum seekers and refugees from the Middle East, together with an assessment of PTSD and psychiatric morbidity via self-rating instruments. Trait resilience and coping style were also measured. RESULTS Eighty-three participants were included in the analysis, 96.4% reported having experienced more than one war related traumatic event while the mean duration of living in refugee camps was 23.6 (SD = 7.6) years. Of the entire sample, 32.5% reached the threshold for clinical presence of PTSD and 38.8% for psychiatric morbidity. Both pre-migration war related trauma (F(1,82) = 24.118, p < .001) and duration of living in refugee camp (F(2,81) = 2.511, p = .008) were significantly associated with PTSD. Trait resilience moderated effects of high-profile trauma exposure on PTSD severity, R2 = 0.26, MSE = 0.547, F(3,79) = 9.6357, p < .0001, with higher resilience levels weakening the effect of traumatic exposure on PTSD development. CONCLUSIONS Our results shed light on the ways that resilience can influence the relationship between war trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. Findings support the role of resilience-based interventions in order to bolster resilient functioning and optimize treatment of this disadvantaged and highly distressed population.