BIO

Hello my name is Marguerite, I am from Tampa Florida. I am a sophomore majoring in Biological sciences on the pre-medical track. My career goals are to go to medical school and become a physician. My research interests are in the STEM area and particularly looking into medicine. Research has become a big interest of mine since joining UROP and I am looking forward to expanding my research experience.

Better To Not Be Alone: Relationships between Hurricane Related Trauma, Spiritual Support, and Social Support

Abstract

Media use can be beneficial in many ways such as mood regulation, companionship, anxiety buffering from mortality salience, promoting character development and human flourishing, to name just a few. One phenomenon remains under examined: the extent to which media use might benefit trauma sufferers. This study explored how media use was related to post-traumatic growth and stress among victims of Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Katrina. The results of this exploratory study offer some initial evidence in support of the use of media as a means toward post-traumatic growth but place doubt on its use as a buffer against post-traumatic stress, at least in the months following a traumatic natural disaster. The findings support emerging theories and models of the salutary effects of media use, over time and in response to life stressors. Some of these findings also support that post-traumatic growth is amplified through post-hurricane media use, eudaemonic and hedonic media use and inspirational media use. Much more work is needed for these effects—and the psychological mechanisms and processes facilitating them—to be more fully understood. Our hope is that this study motivates others to join these efforts.

Keywords: Natural Disasters, Post traumatic Growth, Hurricane