Coping with tangible and intangible traumatic losses in prisoners of war.

The study of trauma and loss has been biased towards a pathogenic perspective with relatively few investigations assessing resilience. The present paper demonstrates the role of coping, pre-captivity traumatic loss and social support at homecoming in the short and the long-term impact of tangible and intangible traumatic losses of war captivity. Two case descriptions of former prisoners of war suggest that the utilization of active coping enabled good adjustment. On the other hand, emotion-focused, passive coping strategies, pre-captivity unresolved loss, and perceived negative social support at homecoming lead to an enduring and painful psychological toll. The theoretical and clinical implications of coping with traumatic loss are discussed.