The mediating role of coping self-efficacy on social support and PTSD symptom severity among injury survivors

Background: Social support confers a protective effect against elevated PTSD symptomatology following injury. However, little is known about the mechanisms through which social support conveys this protective mental health effect in injury survivors. Coping self-efficacy is linked to both social support and PTSD symptomatology but has not been examined. Objective: To test coping self-efficacy as a mechanism for the relationship between social support and PTSD symptom severity among injury survivors. Method and Design: Participants consisted of 61 injury survivors (62.3% male, 72.1% White) admitted to a Level-1 Trauma Center. Social support was assessed at 2-weeks post-injury; coping self-efficacy at 6-weeks post-injury; and PTSD symptom severity at 3-months post-injury. Results: A statistically significant indirect effect was found for the social support–coping self-efficacy–PTSD symptomatology pathway, providing evidence of mediation even after controlling for age, sex, race, and education (B = −0.51, SE = 0.18, CI = −0.92, −0.20). Conclusions: Social support may exert an effect on PTSD symptom severity post-injury through its connection with coping self-efficacy. Coping self-efficacy represents an important intervention target following injury for those survivors with lower social support who are at risk for elevated PTSD symptom severity levels.