Effects of Social Supports on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Moderating Role of Perceived Safety

The purpose of the study was to examine the moderating role of perceived safety on the relationship between social support and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms based on a sample of 113 earthquake survivors. The results indicated that perceived safety plays a moderating role in instrumental support, in the tendency to reexperience trauma, in informational support, and also in hyperarousal. The findings reveal that lower perceived safety specifically plays a risk role in a survivor's ability to receive social supports after a natural disaster. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the influence of perceived safety on the effect of social support on the PTSD symptoms in victims of natural disasters. The results of this study may lead to advances in the understanding, prevention, and treatment of PTSD.