The role of protective self-cognitions in the relationship between childhood trauma and later resource loss (original) (raw)
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Resource Loss and Naturalistic Reduction of PTSD Among Inner-City Women
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2008
Halting the process of psychosocial and material resource loss has been theorized as being associated with the reduction of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examines how the limiting of resource loss is related to alleviation of PTSD symptoms among 102 inner-city women, who originally met diagnostic criteria for PTSD after experiencing interpersonal traumatic events such as child abuse, rape, and sexual assault. Participants whose PTSD symptoms improve and become nondiagnostic for PTSD are compared with those who remain diagnostic. The two groups are not significantly different at pretest. However, at the 6-month time point, those who become nondiagnostic for PTSD report less resources loss in three of four domains. This pattern suggests that as PTSD symptoms decrease, women's material and psychosocial resource loss diminishes, which in turn, may aid their recovery process.
Journal of interpersonal violence, 2016
This study examined if abuse during childhood, rape in adulthood, and loss of resources predict a woman's probability of reporting symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and whether resource loss moderates the association between reporting childhood abuse and PTSD symptoms. The sample included 767 women and was collected in publicly funded primary-care settings. Women who reported having been abused during childhood also reported more resource loss, more acute PTSD symptoms, and having suffered more adult rape than those who reported no childhood abuse. Hierarchical logistic regression yielded a two-variable additive model in which child abuse and adult rape predict the probability of reporting or not any PTSD symptoms, explaining 59.7% of the variance. Women abused as children were 1 to 2 times more likely to report PTSD symptoms, with sexual abuse during childhood contributing most strongly to this result. Similarly, women reporting adult rape were almost twice as l...
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2019
This study aimed to examine the relationship of exposure to family violence (i.e., experiencing parental physical violence [PH] and psychological aggression [PA] and witnessing interparental PH and PA) during childhood and adolescence with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) during young adulthood. In addition, the mediating role of self-efficacy in this relationship was investigated. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 516 university and college students in Israel (90.7% female and 9.3% male; Mage = 24.9, SD = 2.7). The results revealed that experiencing parental violence and witnessing interparental violence during childhood and adolescence were associated with high levels of current PTSS. The results also indicate that experiencing parental violence was associated with lower levels of self-efficacy, whereas no such significant relationship was found between witnessing interparental violence and self-efficacy. Furthermore, a negative relationship was found between se...
Chronic Stress, 2017
Background Although childhood endangerment often precedes adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the mechanism from danger to disorder is unclear. We proposed a developmental process in which unprotected and uncomforted danger in childhood would be associated with “shortcuts” in information processing that, in adulthood, could result in PTSD if the adult experienced additional exposure to danger. Information processing was defined as the basic associative, dissociative, and integrative processes used by all humans. Individual differences in parents’ (or primary caregivers’) protective and comforting behavior were expected to force unprotected children to use psychological shortcuts that linked early trauma to later vulnerability for PTSD. Method We compared 22 adults with chronic PTSD to (a) 22 adults with other psychiatric diagnoses and (b) 22 normative adults without any diagnosis, in terms of information processing around childhood danger. The Adult Attachment Interview was ...
This study examined whether low perceived parental competency of abused women was associated with previous exposure to violence during childhood, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attachment security. The study included 54 women who were recruited from shelters for abused women. Results revealed that abused women with PTSD were anxiously attached and women who had been exposed to violence during childhood felt less satisfaction from mothering. These findings may imply that abused women are not a homogenous group; the repeated traumatic events throughout their lives may result in the formation of insecure attachment patterns and PTSD, which, consequently, may impact their perceived parenting.
Behavioral Sciences, 2024
Background: Adverse life occurrences (e.g., severe accidents, violence/abuse, organic disorders such as COVID-19) can elicit traumatic responses that heighten fear, anxiety, and depression. However, scientific research has shown that certain variables, such as self-esteem, based on theories like terror management theory (TMT) and the anxiety-buffering hypothesis (ABH), can mitigate the negative effects of trauma. This study aimed to test the ABH by assessing the buffering role of selfesteem in the relationships among the impact of traumatic experiences, fear, anxiety, and depression. Method: An observational research design was used. This study involved 321 participants who experienced COVID-19 as a traumatic experience. A sequential multiple-mediation model with observed variables (path analysis) was used to test the impact of the traumatic experience on fear, anxiety, and depression, examining the protective role of self-esteem. Results: A path analysis revealed that fear and anxiety mediated the relationship between the impact of the traumatic experience of COVID-19 and depression. Additionally, in line with the ABH, self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship between the predictors and their adverse psychological consequences. This suggests that self-esteem played a buffering role, mitigating the negative impact of traumatic experiences on mental health outcomes. Conclusions: These findings underscore the central mediating role of self-esteem, as well as fear and anxiety, in the pathway from trauma-related factors to depression. These insights advocate for evidence-based interventions aimed at alleviating the psychological suffering associated with traumatic experiences, fostering adaptation, and supporting psychological health.
Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 2015
To assess and compare the (independent) predictive value of trauma-related coping self-efficacy (CSE) for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among a treatment sample and a comparison group of nontreatment seeking victims. Both the treatment (N = 54) and comparison group (N = 144) were exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), experienced a heightened level of PTSS (IES > = 19), and were matched on work status and time between PTE and first measurement (T1). Respondents completed both baseline (T1) and follow-up measures (T2) approximately 8 months after T1. Multiple regression analyses among the treatment sample showed that neither PTSS at T1 (start of treatment) nor CSE levels at T1 predicted PTSS at T2 among the treatment group. Among the comparison group, higher CSE levels at T1 and younger age were significantly associated with lower PTSS at T2. In both the treatment group and the comparison group PTSS levels were significantly lower at T2 than at T1. As expected, tre...
Violence and Victims, 2019
The study used the ecological model of trauma and recovery (Harvey, 1996) to examine the rates of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among female victims of domestic violence. Five hundred and five participants completed questionnaires upon entering shelters in Israel. Analysis showed that 61% of the participants reported probable PTSD. Childhood exposure to violence, violence severity, and feeling helpless were all associated with high PTSD levels. By contrast, Ethiopian ethnicity, social support, and a stronger sense of control were associated with lower PTSD levels. However, the interaction between social support and violence duration showed that social support did not moderate PTSD when exposure to violence endured. The study emphasizes that resources deteriorate, and that policy-augmenting prevention programs would increase treatment potential to strengthen survivors' coping capacities.
Parental mental representations of the child have been described in the clinical literature as potentially useful risk-indicators for the intergenerational transmission of violent trauma. This study explored factors associated with the quality and content of maternal mental representations of her child and relationship with her child within an inner-city sample of referred, traumatized mothers. Specifically, it examined factors that have been hypothesized to support versus interfere with maternal self- and mutual-regulation of affect: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and maternal reflective functioning (RF). More severe PTSD, irrespective of level of RF, was significantly associated with the distorted classification of non-balanced mental representations on the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI) within this traumatized sample. Higher Levels of RF, irrespective of PTSD severity, were significantly associated with the balanced classification of maternal mental representations on the WMCI. Level of maternal reflective functioning and severity of PTSD were not significantly correlated in this sample. Clinical implications are discussed.
Conference: مؤتمر الصحة النفسية بجامعة الازهر 22 اكتوبر 2023, 2023
Psychological psychotherapist Children are some of the most vulnerable members of society and can experience severe trauma that can have lasting effects. In the aftermath of traumatic events, some children may develop posttraumatic disorder, which can negatively impact their psychological well-being. However, not all children are affected equally by traumatic events, as some are more resilient than others. Psychological resilience is the ability to adapt and cope with adversity, and it plays a critical role in promoting mental health and well-being in children. While there are several factors that contribute to resilience, self-efficacy is a significant predictor of resilience in children with post-traumatic disorder. Self-efficacy is the belief in one's ability to cope with challenges and adversity. It is a crucial component of child development and shapes their resilience in the face of trauma. By fostering self-efficacy, children can build their ability to cope with adversity and ultimately promote their psychological resilience. Key Takeaways • Psychological resilience is critical in promoting mental health and well-being in children, particularly those with posttraumatic disorder. • Self-efficacy is a significant predictor of resilience in children and plays a crucial role in shaping their ability to adapt and cope with adversity.