Social provision partially mediates the complex associations among posttraumatic stress, obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms in traumatized patients.

AIM: To identify the associations among posttraumatic stress, depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in outpatients with psychological trauma and to examine the mediating effect of social provision.

BACKGROUND

Psychologically traumatized patients simultaneously experience depressive and OCS. Social provision may mediate multiple symptoms differently compared with social support.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional and correlational study.

METHODS

Data were collected between August 2016-May 2017. Psychiatric outpatients (N = 151) completed a structured questionnaire consisting of the Korean versions of the Social Provision Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory and Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the recursive association among the three symptoms and the mediation of social provision.

RESULTS

There was a recursive association between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms, which were simultaneously associated with OCS with a one-way direction. OCS and social provision partially mediated these identified associations among three symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide insight into the complex associations of multiple symptoms experienced by traumatized outpatients and the partial mediation of social provision. Psychiatric and mental health professionals may enhance social functioning and interpersonal interactions based on social provision components used for helping traumatized patients with obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms.

IMPACT: There was a recursive association between PTSS and depressive symptoms that were simultaneously associated with OCS with a one-way direction. Social provision functions as a partial mediator when working with OCS. Mental health nurses can develop social provision interventions for depressive symptoms for traumatized outpatients with OCS.