Test of the Trauma Outcome Process Model

What is it about?

he Trauma Outcome Process Assessment (TOPA) is a theoretical model, based on a large body of empirical research establishing key variables that consistently are associated with a range of outcomes following traumatic events. Although most who experience a traumatic event will initially experience symptoms of distress, most will subsequently recover without intervention. Those responding to the needs of trauma survivors are unable currently to predict at early stages who might benefit from assistance and where to devote resources. In this model, individual variables are considered within the context of ecological factors to explain mental health outcomes following traumatic stressor exposure. Analyses in this study revealed the expected relationships among study measures and found that the measures mapped well onto the hypothesized latent constructs of the TOPA model. Using structural equation modeling, the TOPA performed well, suggesting that the TOPA has utility as a theoretical basis for the identification and treatment of differential mental health outcomes following exposure to a traumatic stressor and lend support to key variables that might be considered to better understand trajectories of recovery and illness.

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