TY - JOUR
T1 - Mental contamination, PTSD symptoms, and coping following sexual trauma
T2 - Results from a daily monitoring study
AU - Tipsword, Jordyn M.
AU - Brake, C. Alex
AU - McCann, Jesse
AU - Southward, Matthew W.
AU - Badour, Christal L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - Mental contamination (MC) – dirtiness experienced in the absence of contact with a physical contaminant – has been linked to PTSD symptoms following sexual trauma. However, there is limited understanding regarding the temporal nature of this association. The present study utilized experience sampling to examine associations between baseline and daily experiences of MC and PTSD symptoms and the mediating role of avoidance and approach coping among a sample of 41 adult women with a history of sexual trauma and current MC. Participants completed baseline measures and 14 days of twice-daily assessments. Results indicated that daily MC and PTSD symptoms were bidirectionally related. The tendency to engage in avoidance coping positively mediated relations between 1) baseline MC and daily PTSD symptoms and 2) baseline PTSD symptoms and daily MC. Further, daily avoidance coping (T-1) positively mediated associations between daily MC (T-2) and subsequent daily PTSD symptoms (T). Approach coping was not a mediator (between- or within-) in any models. Findings lend support to a mutual maintenance model of PTSD symptoms and trauma-related MC mediated by avoidance coping. Future research over a more extended period is warranted to clarify whether PTSD symptoms and MC indeed mutually maintain or exacerbate one another over time.
AB - Mental contamination (MC) – dirtiness experienced in the absence of contact with a physical contaminant – has been linked to PTSD symptoms following sexual trauma. However, there is limited understanding regarding the temporal nature of this association. The present study utilized experience sampling to examine associations between baseline and daily experiences of MC and PTSD symptoms and the mediating role of avoidance and approach coping among a sample of 41 adult women with a history of sexual trauma and current MC. Participants completed baseline measures and 14 days of twice-daily assessments. Results indicated that daily MC and PTSD symptoms were bidirectionally related. The tendency to engage in avoidance coping positively mediated relations between 1) baseline MC and daily PTSD symptoms and 2) baseline PTSD symptoms and daily MC. Further, daily avoidance coping (T-1) positively mediated associations between daily MC (T-2) and subsequent daily PTSD symptoms (T). Approach coping was not a mediator (between- or within-) in any models. Findings lend support to a mutual maintenance model of PTSD symptoms and trauma-related MC mediated by avoidance coping. Future research over a more extended period is warranted to clarify whether PTSD symptoms and MC indeed mutually maintain or exacerbate one another over time.
KW - Approach
KW - Avoidance
KW - Coping
KW - Mental contamination
KW - PTSD symptoms
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U2 - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102517
DO - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102517
M3 - Article
C2 - 34973537
AN - SCOPUS:85121905003
SN - 0887-6185
VL - 86
JO - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
JF - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
M1 - 102517
ER -