The Influence of Trait Resilience and Psychopathic Characteristics on PTSD Symptom Severity

Psychopathy is a continuous personality characteristic that includes high impulsivity and thrillseeking, while typically maintaining low empathy and anxiety (Paulhus & Williams, 2002). Exposure to traumatic events can lead to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, symptom severity can differ depending on characteristics of risk resilience (Moeller & Hell, 2003; Connor & Davidson, 2003). Past research on psychopaths has shown positive relationships with PTSD; however, most studies involving psychopaths are conducted on inmates (Dutton, 1995). The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between trauma exposure, aspects of resilience, and psychopathic characteristics. Our sample consisted of 215 psychology students (139 females and 76 males) at a western university. Results revealed psychopathy was positively associated with PTSD symptom severity, r = .15, p = .05 and resilience, r = .035, p = .61. PTSD symptom severity was negatively associated with resilience, r = -.14, p = .05. Results from moderation analyses revealed a significant interaction between resilience and psychopathy, b = -.007, p = .009. Overall, our hypotheses were supported. Limitations of the study are that it is cross-sectional and correlational in nature and specific to psychology students. Implications of this study can add to the body of knowledge of PTSD, resiliency, and psychopathy on a normally functioning population. Future research should assess other populations (non-college, non-inmate) to investigate for similar outcomes