The Pave Project Report - Queen's University Belfast

The PAVE Project Report 99
5.4. PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH CORRELATES: D.I.S.C
ANALYSIS
I
t is now recognized that the way in which people cope with trauma, violence,
and bereavement does not follow a universal linear pattern of progression, but
that instead, responses vary depending on a range of different factors (Hamber, 2003;
Spates, 2002; Orsillo, Batten, & Hammond, 2001). Dillenburger and Keenan’s (2005)
D.I.S.C. analysis demonstrates how trauma and bereavement responses depend on at
least four intertwined contexts: the mode of Death (or Trauma), Individual factors,
Social context, and Cultural/Political milieu. In this section, the D.I.S.C. analysis is
utilised to illustrate psychological health of participants, as measured by GHQ-30,
BDI-II, and PDS. It focuses on: (1) the traumatic event, including mode of death or
type of trauma, duration, and intensity; (2) individual variables, such as age, gender,
health, and personal trauma history; (3) social circumstances, such as family
relationships, social support networks, and stressful life events; and (4) cultural and
political context, such as cultural norms, rites, and changing political milieu.