The path from traffic accident to posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, and driver behavior change: an examination with rumination and transtheoretical model

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2017
Kaçan, Bilgesu
The traffic accident is one of the traumatic events with their high occurrence rates, deathful results and psychological consequences. While post-traumatic stress (PTS) is one of the negative psychological causes of traffic accidents, positive psychological experiences such as post-traumatic growth also can be experienced. These experiences with their vital effects have an impact on driver behavior change. In this thesis, the path from traffic accident to PTS, PTG, and driver behavior change was examined with rumination type and stages of Transtheoretical Model (TTM) mediation. To examine stages of TTM, two scales were translated and adapted to Turkish. The data of 409 adult traffic accident survivors was used for adaptation analysis; the data of 234 adult traffic accident survivors was used for other analysis. While factor analysis showed difference for one scale, other scale showed perfect fit with original version. Pre-contemplation stage, contemplation stage, and action-maintenance stage caused partial metiation in the relationship between perceived severity of event and PTS; and between severity of event and PTG; and between PTS and PTG; when rumination type was included analysis as mediator variable full mediation was found. In terms of relationship between PTS/PTG and positive driver behavior change, action-maintenance stage was found as a significant mediator variable. The detailed results were presented and discussed; the limitations, strengths, clinical implications of study; suggestions for future studies were presented. 

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Citation Formats
B. Kaçan, “The path from traffic accident to posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, and driver behavior change: an examination with rumination and transtheoretical model,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2017.