Theory and research suggest that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may mediate the relationship between child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault. However, little empirical research has examined the mediational role of PTSD. In the present study, the authors use structural equation modeling to examine the degree to which the three symptom clusters that define PTSD (reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal) contribute to sexual revictimization. To assess PTSD symptomatology, undergraduate women completed questionnaires (N = 1,449), which detailed the history and severity of childhood and adult sexual assault experiences. Results indicated that PTSD mediated sexual revictimization. When PTSD symptom clusters were examined individually, only the hyperarousal cluster was a significant mediator. Results are discussed in terms of information-processing mechanisms that may underlie sexual revictimization.

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Nursing is a stressful occupation, and consequently, nurses are at risk for work-related burnout. This is highly problematic, as numerous negative consequences are associated with burnout. Most notably, burnout may result in nurses leaving the profession, thereby exacerbating the nursing shortage. The purpose of the present study was to advance the understanding of burnout in the nursing profession. Specifically, three types of work engagement (i.e., vigor, dedication, and absorption) and resiliency were hypothesized to mediate the relationship between work-related stress and burnout. Nurses and nursing students were recruited through a college and a state nursing association, and participants ( N =  76) completed a series of online surveys. Mediation models were assessed using multiple regression analyses and the bootstrapping method of testing indirect effects. Results indicated that vigor, dedication, absorption, and resiliency partially mediated the relationship between work-related stress and burnout, although the exact pattern of results varied depending on the specific type of burnout (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Reduced Personal Accomplishment). These results could be useful in helping to prevent burnout in the nursing profession and should be taken into consideration when designing employee training and support programs.

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Trauma recovery processes may be understood within a socioecological model. Individual factors (such as sex of the survivor) and microsystem factors (including trauma characteristics) have been studied extensively. However, there is a paucity of research examining the effects of macrosystem factors on the impact of trauma-especially examining how the response of the first person to whom the survivor disclosed affects trauma-related cognitions and distress. Sixty-three college student participants reported a history of disclosing at least one traumatic event in an online, anonymous survey. Participants also provided information on the first person they told about the trauma, the social reactions of that person, general social reactions to trauma disclosure, the participants' trauma-related cognitions and psychological distress (PTSD, other mental health issues), details about the traumatic event, and basic demographic information. Paired sample t tests showed that participants experienced the responses of the first person they told about their trauma as more favorable than the responses of the all of the people to whom they told about the event. Women and survivors of non-interpersonal trauma reported more supportive responses than men and survivors of interpersonal trauma. Hierarchical linear regressions showed that interpersonal trauma and victim blame on the part of the first person the survivor told were associated with more negative trauma-related cognitions. Interpersonal trauma, emotional support, and victim blame were associated with a greater degree of trauma-related distress. The results suggest that participants perceived the response of the first person they told as more beneficial than the response of the rest of their exosystem. However, the reactions of the first person the survivor told differed based on the sex of the survivor and the type of trauma they experienced. Consistent with previous research, interpersonal trauma and victim blame by the first person the survivor told about the trauma were associated with more trauma-related distress and negative cognitions. Trauma-related distress was also associated with greater emotional support by the disclosure partner. The results support the use of the socioeological model to better understand the complex nature of trauma recovery and have implications for prevention.