Does Resilience Buffer the Detrimental Effect of Trauma Exposure on PTSD Symptoms in University Students? A Test of a Moderated Mediation Model

Traumatic experiences often lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), though not always directly. This study examines a moderated mediation model which hypothesizes resilience to buffer the effect of trauma exposure on PTSD symptoms through maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation (MCER) and anger. Data were collected from 354 university students from South Korea through Life Events Checklist - Korean Version, the Korean version of Impact of Event Scale-R, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, State Anger subscale of the Anger Expression Inventory, and the Korean version of the Connor - Davidson Resilience Scale. The results confirmed MCER and anger as mediators of the trauma - PTSD relationship and resilience as a moderator of only the trauma - anger relationship, offering useful implications for university-based PTSD interventions.