Association between the temperament postulated in the regulative theory of temperament and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in different groups of victims

The aim of our studies was to investigate an association between temperamental traits postulated in the Regulative Theory of Temperament and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in different groups of victims. The studies were run on four groups of participants: miners who experienced a mining catastrophe, flood victims, firemen, and cancer patients. All temperamental traits were measured using the Formal Characteristics of Behavior - Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI). PTSD symptoms (intrusion/arousal and avoidance/numbing) were measured with the factorial version of the PTSD Inventory (PTSDF). The significant relationship between five of six temperamental traits (briskness, perseveration, emotional reactivity, endurance, and activity) and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms has been confirmed. Especially, emotional reactivity and perseveration are highly correlated with PTSD symptoms in all groups under studies. The results suggest that temperamental traits postulated in the regulative theory of temperament may be considered as endophenotypes for anxiety disorders.