Zulkarnain, Iszati Afiqah Iskandar (2025) Examining the relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, and emotional regulation in individuals with traumatic brain injury. Masters thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
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Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is commonly associated with psychological challenges, including post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depressive symptoms, and emotional regulation difficulties. Despite the high prevalence of these issues, research on their co-occurrence and interrelationships in TBI populations is limited. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of PTSS, depressive symptoms, and emotional regulation difficulties among individuals with a history of TBI and to explore the relationships between these challenges. A sample of 150 individuals with TBI participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed self-report measures: the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and correlation tests, were conducted to assess the prevalence and relationships between variables. The results indicated that 80.7% of participants met the clinical threshold for PTSS, with 43.3% exhibiting moderately severe depressive symptoms and 26.7% reporting moderate symptoms. Emotional regulation difficulties were prevalent, with 32.0% showing low cognitive reappraisal scores and 48.0% exhibiting medium levels of expressive suppression. A moderate positive correlation was found between cognitive reappraisal and PTSS (Spearman’s ρ = 0.253, p = 0.002), while a strong positive correlation was observed between expressive suppression and PTSS (Spearman’s ρ = 0.532, p < 0.001). Additionally, a strong positive correlation was found between PTSS and depressive symptoms (Spearman’s ρ = 0.728, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the significant psychological challenges faced by individuals with TBI and underscore the role of emotional regulation in the co-occurrence of PTSS and depression. However, limitations such as the small sample size and reliance on self-report measures suggest that future research should explore larger, longitudinal studies to better understand the interrelationships between these psychological challenges in TBI populations.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress symptoms |
| Subjects: | R Medicine R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry |
| Divisions: | Kampus Kesihatan (Health Campus) > Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan (School of Medical Sciences) > Thesis |
| Depositing User: | Mr Abdul Hadi Mohammad |
| Date Deposited: | 22 Jun 2026 03:02 |
| Last Modified: | 22 Jun 2026 03:02 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usm.my/id/eprint/63762 |
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