Trauma Exposure Checklist: Psychometric Properties and Its Applicability to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Trauma Exposure Checklist: Preliminary Results Show Promising Psychometric Properties to Assess Subjective Perceptions of Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events

Most individuals in the general population will be exposed to potentially traumatic situations at some point in their lifespan. There is a strong body of research focusing on the clinical implications of exposure to potentially traumatic situations, but less attention has been given to psychological adjustment following these events. Very few available instruments assess trauma exposure while considering subjective perceptions of both positive and negative features. In this study, 304 adults from the general population, mostly women of middle and high socioeconomic status (mean age = 43), filled in a questionnaire with sociodemographic questions and an adapted version of the Trauma Exposure Checklist, which was originally developed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that most participants have experienced a potentially traumatic event, most prevalently related to violence and/or criminality and to the severe illnesses and deaths of close relatives. Principal components and reliability analyses lent support to a three-factor structure that considers perceptions of internal and external losses and a positive factor that addresses resources and social support. This study is a first step towards advancing our knowledge on the impact of developmental and sociodemographic factors on subjective experiences of psychological crises and, consequently, psychological adjustment throughout the lifespan.

A qualitative exploration of families' experiences and resilience factors during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted widespread changes and challenges worldwide. In the context of the early months of the pandemic, the current study utilized thematic analysis to assess parents' (N = 13) perspectives of need for resources to foster their family's wellbeing. Five themes emerged: Information Deficits, Need for More Instrumental Supports, Frustration and Worry, Resources Promoting Resilience, and Positive Perspective Shift. Results indicate the importance of information and expanded access to community resources to scaffold resilience in the face of ongoing mass stressors.

Individual and community psychological experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic: The state of emergency in Portugal

Individuals have different ways of coping with crisis. Individual factors, family and contextual features, and community support may influence how individuals feel, think and act during a crisis. COVID-19 was an unexpected pandemic that forced many European countries to take confinement measures and restrict social face to face interactions. This study is an effort to understand how Portuguese residents dealt with the pandemic during the first confinement period, considering different sociodemographic characteristics and trauma exposure perceptions. Five hundred and five adults, between 18 and 79 years old participated in this study via an online self-report assessment protocol. Sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, employment status, and caring responsibilities had an impact on individuals' perceptions regarding their exposure to the pandemic and their quality of life. Perceived exposure to the pandemic was found to predict quality of life in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains. Results have practical implications for European and local policy-making, as well as for targeting psychological interventions for those whose mental health has been negatively affected by the pandemic and for those who may become more affected if confinement measures are implemented again.