Bodily Autonomy and Trauma: Understanding the Nature of the Association Between Sexual Trauma, an External Locus of Control, and Depressive Symptoms.

There is growing evidence suggesting an increased perception of control is associated with reduced psychological distress among survivors of sexual trauma. The current study advances the extant literature by investigating the association between depressive symptoms, sexual trauma, and an external locus of control or the perception life events are outside one's own control. To do so, we analyze data from the New Family Structures Study, a nationally representative survey of U.