Grad Student Tipsword: Examining Trauma-Related Emotions, Revictimization, and Eating Disorder Symptoms following Childhood Sexual Abuse

EMOTIONS, REVICTIMIZATION, DISORDERED EATING 2 Abstract Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been consistently positively linked to eating disorder symptoms. Those who experience revictimization after CSA are particularly at-risk for subsequent eating disorder symptoms. Additional research has also documented positive associations between 1) sexual trauma and negative self-focused trauma-related emotions (e.g., trauma-related shame, self-disgust) and 2) negative self-focused emotions and eating disorder symptoms. However, research has yet to evaluate links between negative trauma-related emotions and eating disorder symptoms among women with a history of CSA, as well as the role of revictimization in those associations. To address these gaps, the current study will utilize a two-wave prospective survey to examine associations among CSA, revictimization, negative trauma-related emotions, and eating disorder symptoms among approximately 750 young adult women (ages 18-30) enrolled as college students. A conditional indirect effects model will be evaluated. It is anticipated that CSA will be positively associated with negative self-focused trauma-related emotions (i.e., trauma-related shame, self-disgust, guilt) and both shame and self- disgust (but not guilt) will be positively associated with subsequent eating disorder symptoms. It is also expected that associations between 1) CSA and negative trauma-related emotions and 2) CSA and eating disorder symptoms will be stronger among women who have experienced revictimization. The present study has the potential to fill critical gaps in the literature concerning the relationship between trauma-related factors and eating disorder symptoms and to directly test theoretical explanations for eating disorder symptoms among women with a history of CSA.