Betrayal Trauma

Abstract

Betrayal trauma, or trauma perpetrated by someone with whom a victim is close, is strongly associated with a range of negative psychological and physical health outcomes. However, few studies have examined associations between different forms of trauma and emotional and physical symptoms. The present study compared betrayal trauma to other forms of trauma as predictors of young adults' psychological and physical symptoms, and explored potential mediators. A total of 185 university undergraduate students completed the Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey, the Trauma Symptom Checklist, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Pennebaker Inventory of Limbic Languidness. For each set of symptoms, simultaneous multiple regressions assessed the relative contributions of low versus high betrayal trauma to psychological and physical health reports. Structural equation models examined traumatic stress symptoms and alexithymia as mediators of the relationship between betrayal trauma and physical health symptoms. A total of 151 participants (82%) reported exposure to at least 1 of 11 forms of trauma queried (M = 2.08, SD = 1.94); 96 participants (51.9%) reported at least 1 betrayal trauma. Traumas characterized by high betrayal predicted alexithymia, anxiety, depression, dissociation, physical health complaints, and the number of days students reported being sick during the past month, whereas other traumas did not. Structural equation modeling revealed that traumatic stress symptoms and alexithymia mediated the association between betrayal trauma and physical health complaints. These results indicate that betrayal trauma is associated with young adults' physical and mental health difficulties to a greater extent than are other forms of trauma. Results may inform assessment, intervention, and prevention efforts.

Attachment and dissociation as mediators of the link between childhood trauma and psychotic experiences

“…For the purpose of this study, we only employed nine items relating to interpersonal traumatic events that participants experienced before the age of 18 years. The Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey has been widely used in large survey designs with clinical and nonclinical participants (e.g., Goldsmith, Freyd, & DePrince, ) and has been used as a measure of interpersonal trauma with participants experiencing psychosis (e.g., Stain et al, ). The measure has good construct validity (DePrince & Freyd, ) and test–retest reliability (Goldberg & Freyd, ) and presented good internal consistency in this study (α = .83).…”

Lifetime trauma, personality traits, and health: A pathway to midlife health status.

“…High-betrayal traumas, such as physical abuse by a close family member, should have more impact on physical and psychological outcomes than ones low in betrayal, such as being in an earthquake. In support of the theory, some studies have found associations between high- but not low-betrayal trauma and physical and mental health outcomes (Goldsmith, Freyd, & DePrince et al, 2012; Edwards, Freyd, Dube, Anda, & Felitti, 2012). However, these studies have relied on self-reports of physical symptoms, functional status, or mental health.…”

Specific Trauma Subtypes Improve the Predictive Validity of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire in Iraqi Refugees

“…Different trauma types might therefore contribute differently to psychopathology in a way that would be masked by a cumulative trauma index. Indeed, research in non-refugee populations has shown differences in pathology across subtypes of trauma exposure (15). Specifically, traumas involving betrayal have been associated with greater pathology than similar traumas that do not involve betrayal (e.g., seeing a family member attacked by another family member vs. attacked by a stranger; 15).…”