Temperament and Character Inventory – Revised (TCI–R) 1 year after the earthquake of L’Aquila (Italy)

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of L’Aquila earthquake (Italy) on the Temperament and Character Inventory – Revised (TCI–R) administered 1 year after the earthquake to a community sample of 375 subjects exposed to the earthquake and 480 non-exposed. Exposed people showed variations in the adaptive response to stress with higher Persistence (P) and lower Harm Avoidance (HA) dimensions among adult and lower self directedness (SD) and higher Harm Avoidance (HA) in older people. No differences in young adults were seen. Temperament and character dimensions are sensitive to trauma exposure in different ways in different age groups.

► We studied the impact of the L’Aquila earthquake on personality trough TCI–R 1 year after in a community samples of individuals exposed and not exposed.
► Middle age exposed people showed higher Persistence and lower Harm Avoidance while older people showed lower self-directedness.
► The TCI variation is sensitive to adaption to stress with positive adjustment among middle age and dysfunctional adjustment in older people.
► The different pattern of TCI variation support the view that age could differentially affect personality adaptation to traumatic event.