Mitigating Injury Survivors’ PTSD Symptoms by Strengthening Self-Compassion and Trauma Coping Self-Efficacy

Bibliographic Data

ID22426095
AuthorsSteven L Bistricky (0000-0002-5420-5971, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, corresponding author), Timothy J Doenges (0009-0003-1825-157X, University of Colorado Colorado Springs), Gemma Brom (0009-0002-7333-4899, University of Colorado Colorado Springs), Stephanie Agtarap (0000-0002-1188-0897, Craig Hospital), Kristin W Samuelson (0000-0002-6077-5524)
Year2026
Pages1-27
Publication date2026-01-05
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Loss and Trauma (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1532-5024 • E-ISSN: 1532-5032
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/15325024.2025.2607501
OpenAlexW7118219837
LanguageEN
References cited92

Physical injury survivors who experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms need tailored interventions targeting adaptation mechanism resources. During recovery, strengthening survivors’ tenuous self-compassion and belief that they can overcome trauma (i.e., trauma coping self-efficacy) could facilitate adaptation and reduce risk for persistent PTSD symptoms. The present research considered the preliminary plausibility of a conceptual model reasoning that elevated self-compassion might decrease injury survivors’ PTSD symptoms through increased trauma coping self-efficacy. Adult injury survivors, recruited mostly from a Level 1 trauma center, participated in a tailored brief-psychotherapy pilot intervention and completed measures of self-compassion, trauma coping self-efficacy, and PTSD symptom severity. Data fit with the conceptual model was evaluated based on mediation analysis at pretreatment (N = 29) and the degree to which pre-post-treatment improvements in the three focal variables intercorrelated (N = 11). Mediation analysis results were consistent with the putative conceptual model, indicating a negative indirect effect of self-compassion on PTSD symptoms via increased trauma coping self-efficacy. Correlation coefficients among pre-post treatment improvements in these three variables were also qualitatively consistent with the putative model. The present research highlights potential ways self-compassion and trauma coping self-efficacy could mitigate PTSD symptoms, and it provides concrete intervention approaches to leverage individual therapy strategies and group therapy dynamics during survivors’ injury recovery to facilitate self-compassion, trauma coping self-efficacy, and adaptation. To address limitations of the present pilot research and further improve how injury survivors’ needs get met, future studies should employ rigorous longitudinal intervention research designs.

Injury prevention · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Health, psychology, and well-being · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

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