Mediators of Posttraumatic Mental Health in Sexual Assault Survivors

Stermac, Lana; Cabral, Christine M; Clarke, Allyson; Toner, Brenda B.

doi:10.1080/10926771.2014.881948

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Trauma symptoms were assessed using the Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC-40; Elliott & Briere, 1992). The TSC-40 has been shown to have good reliability (with Cronbach’s α generally observed at about .90; Elliott & Briere, 1992; Neal & Nagle, 2013; Stermac, Cabral, Clarke, & Toner, 2014) and validity (Elliott & Briere, 1992; Higgins & McCabe, 1994). The TSC-40 evaluates common forms of posttraumatic distress (e.g., nightmares, loneliness, sadness, headaches, etc.)…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Still Second Class

Rosenthal

Smidt

Freyd

2016

Psychology of Women Quarterly

131

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We surveyed 525 graduate students (61.7% females and 38.3% males) regarding their exposure to sexual and gender-based harassing events. Thirty-eight percent of female and 23.4% of male participants self-reported that they had experienced sexual harassment from faculty or staff; 57.7% of female and 38.8% of male participants reported they had experienced sexual harassment from other students. We explored the relation between sexual harassment and negative outcomes (trauma symptoms, campus safety, and institutional betrayal) while also considering associations with other types of victimization (sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence) during graduate school. Our results update and extend prior research on sexual harassment of graduate students; graduate-level female students continue to experience significantly more sexual harassment from faculty, staff, and students than their male counterparts, and sexual harassment is significantly associated with negative outcomes after considering other forms of victimization. Leaders in the academic community and therapists can apply these findings in their work with sexually harassed students to destigmatize the experience, validate the harm, and work toward preventing future incidents. A podcast conversation with the author of this article is available on PWQ's website at http://pwq.sagepub.com/site/misc/Index/Podcasts.xhtml

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Still Second Class

Rosenthal

Smidt

Freyd

2016

Psychology of Women Quarterly

131

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“…Previous research has considered the relationship between posttraumatic symptoms and posttraumatic growth, but there is little agreement about the nature of this relationship. Some studies have found, counterintuitively, a positive correlation between PTG and PTS (e.g., Dekel et al, 2012), while others have found an inverse correlation (e.g., Stermac et al, 2014), or no correlation (e.g., Salsman et al, 2009). One meta-analysis found both a positive correlation and a curvilinear relationship (Shakespeare-Finch & Lurie-Beck, 2014).…”

Section: The Relationship Between Posttraumatic Symptoms and Posttrau...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A dual-factor model of posttraumatic responses: Which is better, high posttraumatic growth or low symptoms?

Hamby¹,

Taylor²,

Segura³

et al. 2022

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

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Objective: Experiencing traumatic events may invoke posttraumatic symptoms (PTS) or growth (PTG). Using a dual-factor approach inspired by the dual-factor model of mental health, we explore the intersections of posttraumatic symptoms and growth with 21 strengths and indicators of psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being. Method: A survey completed by 1,966 participants who had experienced at least one prior victimization (average age 29.8 [SD = 1.64]; 63.6% female) assessed strengths, outcomes, and victimization. Participants were classified into four posttraumatic groups: Resilient (low symptoms, high growth, 23.9%), Prevailed (high symptoms, high growth, 26.1% of sample), Detached (low symptoms, low growth, 20.3%), and Distressed (high symptoms, low growth, 29.8%). Results: Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) controlling for age, gender, and victimization found that posttraumatic group classification was associated with each regulatory, meaning-making, and interpersonal strength, and every well-being measure. The Distressed group scored the lowest and the Resilient group scored the highest on almost all measures. Notably, the Prevailed group scored above the Detached group on most measures, except for health-related quality of life and optimism, suggesting that high growth may be more beneficial than low symptoms when coping with trauma. Conclusions: Findings suggest that coping after trauma is more complex than merely doing well or doing poorly in response to trauma. Promoting posttraumatic growth may help even highly symptomatic people achieve well-being after trauma. Clinical Impact StatementPromoting posttraumatic growth may be more important for supporting well-being after trauma than reducing posttraumatic symptoms.

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“…In a nationally representative sample, ASA was associated with all 10 subscales of the Trauma Symptom Inventory [3], including anxious arousal, intrusive experiences, dissociation, and impaired self-reference, despite an average of 14 years having passed since the assault. Another study found that some women with an ASA history continued to experience posttraumatic symptoms up to 3 years following the assault [16], suggesting that the potential negative effects of trauma symptoms are long lasting for some individuals.…”

Section: Relationship Between Sexual Assault Ptsd and Sexual Functimentioning

confidence: 99%