A CORRELATIONAL STUDY: PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL WITH POST TRAUMATIC STRESS PERCEPTION AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IN ADULTS

Abstract

The current correlational study aimed to investigate the relationships between psychological capital, post-traumatic stress perception, and physical health among adults. A sample of 120 adult participants completed self-report questionnaires, including the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), Cohen-Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms (CHIPS), and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12). The PCL-5 assessed post-traumatic stress perception, CHIPS measured physical health symptoms, and the PCQ-12 evaluated psychological capital components such as hope, resilience, optimism, and self-efficacy. Results indicated significant negative correlations between psychological capital and post-traumatic stress perception, as well as positive correlations between psychological capital and physical health. Additionally, post-traumatic stress perception was negatively correlated with physical health. Mediation analysis revealed that psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between post-traumatic stress perception and physical health. These findings suggests that promoting positive psychological resources may mitigate the adverse effects of trauma on mental and physical well-being. Implications for clinical practice, intervention development, public health policy, and future research are discussed.