ATTITUDES TOWARDS EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS IN SURVIVORS OF THE HERALD OF FREE-ENTERPRISE DISASTER

The relationship between self-reported attitudes towards emotional exp ression, assessed at three years after the accident, and post-traumati c symptoms, assessed at five years after the accident, was investigate d in 37 survivors of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster. It was fo und that lower scores on the attitudes towards emotional expression sc ale, indicating more negative attitudes (e.g. 'I think getting emotion al is a sign of weakness') were associated with higher symptom scores. This association remained even when retrospectively assessed percepti ons of helplessness during the disaster and symptoms assessed at three years were partialled out. Implications for therapeutic intervention are discussed.