Using Social Support Matter in the Association of Post-Traumatic Cognitions and Perceived Social Support? Comparison of Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence With and Without a History of Child Abuse.

The association between high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and low levels of perceived social support is well-documented in the trauma literature; research on processes that may underlie this association is less common. The current study examined negative attitudes about using social support as a potential link between negative post-traumatic cognitions about the world and self, one aspect of PTSD, and perceived social support in two groups of female survivors of intimate partner violence: those who had a history of child abuse ( = 153; IPV/CA+) and those who did not ( = 96; IPV/CA-). Negative attitudes about using social support were found to be an important link between negative post-traumatic cognitions and social support for both groups.

Factor Structure of the Communication Patterns Questionnaire in Violence-Exposed Women.

Understanding and addressing violence among intimate partners requires sound assessment of their communication patterns. In prior research, the 35-item, self-report Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ) has been used to assess communication patterns in violent relationships. To date, psychometric analysis of the CPQ has been examined only among nonviolent couples; no studies have examined the psychometric properties of this measure in a sample of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV).

The effects of shame on subsequent reactions to a trauma analog.

The current study examined the effects of experimentally-induced shame on subsequent reactions to a trauma analog. Participants were 88 college-aged women randomly assigned to a shame prime condition or to a control (neutral) condition. Participants then were presented with an analog trauma audiotape depicting dating violence.

The Association Between Posttraumatic Negative Self-Conscious Cognitions and Emotions and Maladaptive Behaviors: Does Time Since Trauma Exposure Matter?

Negative beliefs about the self, self-blame, guilt, and shame have been consistently linked to emotional problems, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, following trauma exposure. To expand understanding of the potential role of negative self-conscious cognitions and emotions in other forms of posttrauma maladjustments, such as maladaptive behaviors, the current study examined the associations between these cognitions and emotions with dissociation, alcohol use, and avoidant problem-solving. As a secondary goal, the influence of time since trauma exposure was considered given recent data suggesting that some posttraumatic responses require lengthier time following trauma to become salient.

Can the Behavioral Model of Health Care Utilization Be Used to Predict Completion of a Mental Health Assessment Following Intimate Partner Violence?

Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) may experience mental health problems. Although some survivors access mental health resources to address these concerns, many discontinue prematurely. One model of health care utilization that has recently gained attention in the trauma literature is the behavioral model of health care utilization (BMHU).

Does a history of childhood abuse moderate the association between symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder in survivors of intimate partner violence?

Objective: This study examined whether a history of childhood abuse (CA) strengthened the association between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath of intimate partner violence (IPV). This hypothesis arises from clinical literature but has not been examined empirically. We predicted that a history of CA would enhance associations between BPD features and PTSD symptoms.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and attitudes about social support: Does shame matter?

Considerable research has examined the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and social support. One facet of this relationship that deserves greater attention concerns trauma survivors' negative expectations towards social support, termed negative network orientation. To expand our understanding of negative network orientation, the current study examined shame as a possible mediator in the relationship between PTSD symptoms and negative network orientation, in a sample of 202 female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV).

Sweat pore reactivity as a surrogate measure of sympathetic nervous system activity in trauma-exposed individuals with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

Stress analysis by FLIR (forward-looking infrared) evaluation (SAFE) has been demonstrated to monitor sweat pore activation (SPA) as a novel surrogate measure of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in a normal population. SNS responses to a series of 15 1-s, 82 dB, white noise bursts were measured by skin conductance (SC) and SAFE monitoring of SPA on the fingers (FiP) and face (FaP) in 10 participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 16 trauma-exposed participants without PTSD (Mage  = 48.92 ± 12.

Social support, posttraumatic cognitions, and PTSD: The influence of family, friends, and a close other in an interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma group.

Research has suggested that social support can shape posttraumatic cognitions and PTSD. However, research has yet to compare the influence of separate domains of support on posttraumatic cognitions. Multiple-group path analysis was used to examine a model in a sample of 170 victims of intimate partner violence and 208 motor vehicle accident victims in which support from friends, family, and a close other were each predicted to influence posttraumatic cognitions, which were in turn predicted to influence PTSD.

Does guilt mediate the association between tonic immobility and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in female trauma survivors?

Tonic immobility (TI) is an involuntary freezing response that can occur during a traumatic event. TI has been identified as a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although the mechanism for this relationship remains unclear. This study evaluated a particular possible mechanism for the relationship between TI and PTSD symptoms: posttraumatic guilt.