Psychosocial processes and effects of participation in demonstrations related to March Eleven bombing

This study examined the psychosocial effects of the participation in secular political rituals around March-Eleven bombing. This longitudinal study evaluates the effects of the participation in manifestations about March-Eleven Madrid bombing. A questionnaire which measures individual and collective coping, social sharing of emotion, intensity of emotional arousal, rumination, arousal and somatic anxiety trauma reaction, subjective social support, loneliness, positive affect, benefices of trauma reaction and emotional climate was completed by around 1600 college students and student s relatives (38%) at three moments: one week after March-Eleven 2004 Madrid bombing, three weeks after and a two-months follow-up. Participants that reports a higher level of participation on demonstrations one week after M-11 at three weeks follow-up after March-Eleven reports higher level of subjective social support, lower loneliness, higher positive affect, more positive self-concept and agree more with the intrapersonal, interpersonal and social benefits of traumatic reaction. Results indicated that higher level of participations one week after, maintain and predict higher level of emotional upset, rumination, somatic anxiety and arousal or stress reactions at three weeks and two months follow-up. At two months follow-up, higher levels of participation on demonstrations one week after predict a more positive perceived emotional and social climate.