This study established that PTSD symptom severity plays an indirect role between pre-displacement stressors and psychological distress, and psychological distress indirectly explains the relationship between pre-displacement stressors and the severity of PTSD symptoms. Although both PTSD symptom severity and psychological distress indirectly explain their relations with pre-displacement stressors, it is suggested that the indirect role of PTSD symptom severity is more robust than that of psychological distress. The implication of findings is that treatment targeting mental health problems from pre-displacement stressors among displaced women can proceed by initially managing psychological distress to aim for a reduction in PTSD symptoms, or by initial management of PTSD symptoms to promote a reduction in psychological distress. However, initial management of PTSD symptoms can foster a better prognosis in the remission of psychological distress than the other way round.
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