Research Output
Dissociation fully mediates the relationship between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and DSM-5 PTSD in a sample of treatment-seeking adults
  Introduction: Child-abuse and neglect are associated with increased risk of adult PTSD and dissociation. Recent research suggests that dissociation mediates the relationship between child maltreatment and PTSD, however, there is a lack of clarity regarding the mediating role of dissociation for different types of child abuse.
Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate dissociation as a mediator between 5 typologies of child-maltreatment and post-traumatic stress severity.
Method: In a sample of highly symptomatic, treatment-seeking females (N=99), structural equation modelling was used to test 3 different models of mediation: direct effect, indirect effect, and direct and indirect effect.
Results: The 5 typologies of child maltreatment were significantly related to dissociation and post-traumatic stress. Dissociation mediated the effect of childhood sexual abuse and childhood emotional abuse on post-traumatic stress severity. The indirect effect model fit the data best.
Conclusion: Dissociation fully mediated the relationship between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and post-traumatic stress severity. The results are limited by the use of retrospective self-report measures and a small sample size.

  • Type:

    Article

  • Date:

    20 February 2018

  • Publication Status:

    Published

  • DOI:

    10.1016/j.ejtd.2018.02.004

  • Cross Ref:

    S246874991730128X

  • Library of Congress:

    HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare

  • Dewey Decimal Classification:

    616.8 Nervous & mental disorders

  • Funders:

    Edinburgh Napier Funded

Citation

Louison Vang, M., Shevlin, M., Karatzias, T., Fyvie, C., & Hyland, P. (2018). Dissociation fully mediates the relationship between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and DSM-5 PTSD in a sample of treatment-seeking adults. European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 2(4), 173-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejtd.2018.02.004

Authors

Keywords

Childhood abuse; childhood trauma; dissociation; posttraumatic stress disorder; posttraumatic stress

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