Targets of Trauma-Related Disgust and Emotion Regulation Difficulties as Predictors of PTSD Symptoms and Mental Contamination Following Sexual Violence

Jordyn M. Tipsword; Madison R. Isaacs; Grace M. Seymour; Christal L. Badour

doi:10.1177/10778012251356951

Targets of Trauma-Related Disgust and Emotion Regulation Difficulties as Predictors of PTSD Symptoms and Mental Contamination Following Sexual Violence

Jordyn M. Tipsword
, Madison R. Isaacs
, Grace M. Seymour
, Christal L. Badour

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

Abstract

Research investigating associations among targets of disgust, emotion regulation (ER) difficulties, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and mental contamination (MC) is limited. This study explored main and interactive effects of self-disgust, disgust with others, disgust with the world, and ER difficulties in predicting PTSD symptoms and MC among women with sexual violence histories (N = 90). Higher disgust with the world predicted more severe PTSD symptoms and disgust with others predicted more severe MC among those low in ER difficulties. Targets of disgust may be differentially associated with posttraumatic outcomes. Future research should investigate mechanisms linking targets of disgust to such outcomes.

Original language	English
Article number	10778012251356951
Journal	Violence Against Women
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012251356951
State	Accepted/In press - 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025

Funding

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the University of Kentucky Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women and Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology. This project was also supported by the National Institute of Mental Health through grant number F31MH132194 and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through grant number UL1TR001998 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women, Psi Chi, NIMH, or NIH.

Funders	Funder number
University of Kentucky
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Mental Health	F31MH132194
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)	UL1TR001998

UN SDGs

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

SDG 5 Gender Equality
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

PTSD symptoms
disgust
emotion regulation
mental contamination
sexual violence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Gender Studies
Sociology and Political Science
Law

Access to Document

10.1177/10778012251356951

Cite this

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title = "Targets of Trauma-Related Disgust and Emotion Regulation Difficulties as Predictors of PTSD Symptoms and Mental Contamination Following Sexual Violence",

abstract = "Research investigating associations among targets of disgust, emotion regulation (ER) difficulties, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and mental contamination (MC) is limited. This study explored main and interactive effects of self-disgust, disgust with others, disgust with the world, and ER difficulties in predicting PTSD symptoms and MC among women with sexual violence histories (N = 90). Higher disgust with the world predicted more severe PTSD symptoms and disgust with others predicted more severe MC among those low in ER difficulties. Targets of disgust may be differentially associated with posttraumatic outcomes. Future research should investigate mechanisms linking targets of disgust to such outcomes.",

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author = "Tipsword, \{Jordyn M.\} and Isaacs, \{Madison R.\} and Seymour, \{Grace M.\} and Badour, \{Christal L.\}",

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AU - Tipsword, Jordyn M.

AU - Isaacs, Madison R.

AU - Seymour, Grace M.

AU - Badour, Christal L.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Research investigating associations among targets of disgust, emotion regulation (ER) difficulties, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and mental contamination (MC) is limited. This study explored main and interactive effects of self-disgust, disgust with others, disgust with the world, and ER difficulties in predicting PTSD symptoms and MC among women with sexual violence histories (N = 90). Higher disgust with the world predicted more severe PTSD symptoms and disgust with others predicted more severe MC among those low in ER difficulties. Targets of disgust may be differentially associated with posttraumatic outcomes. Future research should investigate mechanisms linking targets of disgust to such outcomes.

AB - Research investigating associations among targets of disgust, emotion regulation (ER) difficulties, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and mental contamination (MC) is limited. This study explored main and interactive effects of self-disgust, disgust with others, disgust with the world, and ER difficulties in predicting PTSD symptoms and MC among women with sexual violence histories (N = 90). Higher disgust with the world predicted more severe PTSD symptoms and disgust with others predicted more severe MC among those low in ER difficulties. Targets of disgust may be differentially associated with posttraumatic outcomes. Future research should investigate mechanisms linking targets of disgust to such outcomes.

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KW - disgust

KW - emotion regulation

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JO - Violence Against Women

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ER -

Targets of Trauma-Related Disgust and Emotion Regulation Difficulties as Predictors of PTSD Symptoms and Mental Contamination Following Sexual Violence

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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