No distance is too far between friends: associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with PTSD and anxiety symptoms in Israeli firefighters
Background: Previous research indicates that PTSD patients may show alterations in interpersonal distance regulation (IDR). However, it is not clear whether altered IDR is correlated with psychopathology after trauma and whether attentional processes might be involved in these alterations. Objective...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2021-01-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1899480 |
| _version_ | 1797844549267095552 |
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| author | Shilat Haim-Nachum M. Roxanne Sopp Tanja Michael Simone Shamay-Tsoory Einat Levy-Gigi |
| author_facet | Shilat Haim-Nachum M. Roxanne Sopp Tanja Michael Simone Shamay-Tsoory Einat Levy-Gigi |
| author_sort | Shilat Haim-Nachum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Previous research indicates that PTSD patients may show alterations in interpersonal distance regulation (IDR). However, it is not clear whether altered IDR is correlated with psychopathology after trauma and whether attentional processes might be involved in these alterations. Objective: The current study investigated IDR and attentional processing in a sample of Israeli firefighters. Method: Twenty-four participants completed an experimental IDR task as well as measures of PTSD and anxiety. During the task, event-related potentials were recorded to assess attentional processing as reflected in the P1 and N1 components. Results: Participants who did not choose a closer distance towards friends than strangers experienced greater anxiety. Moreover, participants who showed attentional avoidance towards strangers reported more PTSD symptoms. By contrast, participants who showed hypervigilant attention towards strangers reported greater anxiety. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate an association between IDR, PTSD, and anxiety after trauma. Future studies should re-investigate these associations in larger samples and explore potential implications for prevention and treatment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:24:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-beeafb49ce7644bfa7802b404caa891a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:24:13Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-beeafb49ce7644bfa7802b404caa891a2023-04-18T14:59:09ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662021-01-0112110.1080/20008198.2021.18994801899480No distance is too far between friends: associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with PTSD and anxiety symptoms in Israeli firefightersShilat Haim-Nachum0M. Roxanne Sopp1Tanja Michael2Simone Shamay-Tsoory3Einat Levy-Gigi4Bar-Ilan UniversitySaarland UniversitySaarland UniversityUniversity of HaifaBar-Ilan UniversityBackground: Previous research indicates that PTSD patients may show alterations in interpersonal distance regulation (IDR). However, it is not clear whether altered IDR is correlated with psychopathology after trauma and whether attentional processes might be involved in these alterations. Objective: The current study investigated IDR and attentional processing in a sample of Israeli firefighters. Method: Twenty-four participants completed an experimental IDR task as well as measures of PTSD and anxiety. During the task, event-related potentials were recorded to assess attentional processing as reflected in the P1 and N1 components. Results: Participants who did not choose a closer distance towards friends than strangers experienced greater anxiety. Moreover, participants who showed attentional avoidance towards strangers reported more PTSD symptoms. By contrast, participants who showed hypervigilant attention towards strangers reported greater anxiety. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate an association between IDR, PTSD, and anxiety after trauma. Future studies should re-investigate these associations in larger samples and explore potential implications for prevention and treatment.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1899480trauma exposureinterpersonal distanceptsdanxietyerp |
| spellingShingle | Shilat Haim-Nachum M. Roxanne Sopp Tanja Michael Simone Shamay-Tsoory Einat Levy-Gigi No distance is too far between friends: associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with PTSD and anxiety symptoms in Israeli firefighters European Journal of Psychotraumatology trauma exposure interpersonal distance ptsd anxiety erp |
| title | No distance is too far between friends: associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with PTSD and anxiety symptoms in Israeli firefighters |
| title_full | No distance is too far between friends: associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with PTSD and anxiety symptoms in Israeli firefighters |
| title_fullStr | No distance is too far between friends: associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with PTSD and anxiety symptoms in Israeli firefighters |
| title_full_unstemmed | No distance is too far between friends: associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with PTSD and anxiety symptoms in Israeli firefighters |
| title_short | No distance is too far between friends: associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with PTSD and anxiety symptoms in Israeli firefighters |
| title_sort | no distance is too far between friends associations of comfortable interpersonal distance with ptsd and anxiety symptoms in israeli firefighters |
| topic | trauma exposure interpersonal distance ptsd anxiety erp |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1899480 |
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