Disgust as a unique affective predictor of mental contamination following sexual trauma

Christal L. Badour; Rachel Ojserkis; Dean McKay; Matthew T. Feldner

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.07.007

Disgust as a unique affective predictor of mental contamination following sexual trauma

Christal L. Badour, Rachel Ojserkis, Dean McKay, Matthew T. Feldner

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mental contamination has been described as an internal experience of dirtiness that can arise and persist in the absence of contact with observable physical contaminants. Recent research has examined mental contamination specifically related to unwanted physical contact and sexual trauma. This study evaluated the degree to which disgust propensity and both self-focused and perpetrator-focused peritraumatic disgust were associated with mental contamination in a sample of women who experienced sexual trauma (n= 72). Results showed that peritraumatic self-focused disgust, but not peritraumatic perpetrator-focused disgust or fear, was significantly associated with mental contamination. Additionally, disgust propensity contributed significantly to the incremental validity of the model. These findings support the nascent literature showing that disgust plays a significant role in mental contamination, particularly following sexual trauma. Future research directions, and clinical/theoretical implications of these results are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	704-711
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of Anxiety Disorders
Volume	28
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.07.007
State	Published - Oct 2014

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported, in part, by a + Business, American Psychological Association, and Springer Publications (for book royalties and as Editor of NIMH National Research Service Award ( F31 MH092994-01 ) awarded to the first author. The expressed views do not necessarily represent those of NIMH, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States government. Dean McKay receives royalties from: Sage Publications, Elsevier, Johns Hopkins Press, Springer Science Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy ).

Funding

This research was supported, in part, by a + Business, American Psychological Association, and Springer Publications (for book royalties and as Editor of NIMH National Research Service Award ( F31 MH092994-01 ) awarded to the first author. The expressed views do not necessarily represent those of NIMH, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States government. Dean McKay receives royalties from: Sage Publications, Elsevier, Johns Hopkins Press, Springer Science Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy ).

Funders	Funder number
National Institute of Mental Health	F31MH092994
American Psychological Association

Keywords

Disgust
Mental contamination
Posttraumatic stress disorder
Sexual trauma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Clinical Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.07.007

Cite this

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title = "Disgust as a unique affective predictor of mental contamination following sexual trauma",

abstract = "Mental contamination has been described as an internal experience of dirtiness that can arise and persist in the absence of contact with observable physical contaminants. Recent research has examined mental contamination specifically related to unwanted physical contact and sexual trauma. This study evaluated the degree to which disgust propensity and both self-focused and perpetrator-focused peritraumatic disgust were associated with mental contamination in a sample of women who experienced sexual trauma (n= 72). Results showed that peritraumatic self-focused disgust, but not peritraumatic perpetrator-focused disgust or fear, was significantly associated with mental contamination. Additionally, disgust propensity contributed significantly to the incremental validity of the model. These findings support the nascent literature showing that disgust plays a significant role in mental contamination, particularly following sexual trauma. Future research directions, and clinical/theoretical implications of these results are discussed.",

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author = "Badour, {Christal L.} and Rachel Ojserkis and Dean McKay and Feldner, {Matthew T.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported, in part, by a + Business, American Psychological Association, and Springer Publications (for book royalties and as Editor of NIMH National Research Service Award ( F31 MH092994-01 ) awarded to the first author. The expressed views do not necessarily represent those of NIMH, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States government. Dean McKay receives royalties from: Sage Publications, Elsevier, Johns Hopkins Press, Springer Science Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy ). ",

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AU - Ojserkis, Rachel

AU - McKay, Dean

AU - Feldner, Matthew T.

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N2 - Mental contamination has been described as an internal experience of dirtiness that can arise and persist in the absence of contact with observable physical contaminants. Recent research has examined mental contamination specifically related to unwanted physical contact and sexual trauma. This study evaluated the degree to which disgust propensity and both self-focused and perpetrator-focused peritraumatic disgust were associated with mental contamination in a sample of women who experienced sexual trauma (n= 72). Results showed that peritraumatic self-focused disgust, but not peritraumatic perpetrator-focused disgust or fear, was significantly associated with mental contamination. Additionally, disgust propensity contributed significantly to the incremental validity of the model. These findings support the nascent literature showing that disgust plays a significant role in mental contamination, particularly following sexual trauma. Future research directions, and clinical/theoretical implications of these results are discussed.

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Disgust as a unique affective predictor of mental contamination following sexual trauma

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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