The cognitive, emotional, and behavioral sequelae of trauma exposure: An integrative approach to examining trauma’s effect.

Abstract

Objective: In this study we tested direct pathways from trauma exposure to trauma symptomatology and risky and self-destructive behavior and indirect pathways through two cognitive and affective mechanisms: 1) world assumptions and 2) emotion dysregulation. Method:A sample of 270 undergraduate students with an average age of 20.02 years participated in the study (204 females and 65 males, and one participant choosing not to disclose). Participants completed self-report measures assessing trauma exposure, trauma symptoms, emotion dysregulation, world assumptions, and lifetime and past month engagement in any of 38 risky and self-destructive behaviors. Results: The direct path from trauma exposure to trauma symptoms was significant and so was the indirect effect of self-worth assumptions on this association. The indirect pathway between trauma symptoms and risky and self-destructive behavior in the past month was significant through difficulties with impulse control when distressed. Trauma symptoms had an indirect effect on the association between trauma exposure and lifetime and past month engagement in risky and self-destructive behavior, while the direct pathway from trauma exposure to lifetime engagement remained significant. Conclusion: We offer theoretically and empirically supported integrative pathways that explicate some aspects of trauma exposure's negative sequelae with potential areas for intervention.

Relations between PTSD symptoms and reckless behaviors among military veteran students: Moderating roles of negative and positive life experiences.

“…Findings are inconsistent with a substantial body of literature suggesting that BCEs have an inverse relationship with psychological symptoms (Hou et al, 2022) and PTSD symptoms (Narayan et al, 2018), and that BCEs buffer against negative outcomes from adversity (Daines et al, 2021). Findings also counter research suggesting that lifetime traumatic events are associated with both PTSD symptom severity and reckless behavior engagement (Contractor et al, 2017; Rizeq & McCann, 2021). There are a few potential explanations for these unexpected findings.…”

Emotional reactivity linking assaultive trauma and risky behavior: Evidence of differences between cisgender women and men

“…To our knowledge, only one study to date has examined the indirect effect of trauma exposure and risky behavior broadly defined via emotion processing in adults. In a sample of undergraduate students, Rizeq and McCann (2023) found a significant indirect effect of trauma symptoms on past‐month risky behavior through emotion dysregulation, providing further support for the shared etiology of emotional processing and risky behavior. Although these findings suggest that difficulties with emotion regulation mediate the link between trauma exposure and risky behavior, the question of whether heightened emotional reactivity contributes to risky behavior remains.…”

“…Understanding the role of more specific constructs that contribute to emotion dysregulation may help to increase specificity in etiological models of risky behavior. Further, theoretical models have implicated both emotion regulation and emotional reactivity in the tendency to engage in risky behavior (Nock et al., 2008); however, most research to date has focused on emotion regulation as an intermediate mechanism linking trauma with risky behavior (e.g., Rizeq & McCann, 2023; Weiss et al., 2019). Accordingly, the first aim of this study was to examine whether trauma exposure was indirectly associated with general engagement in past‐month risky behavior via emotional reactivity.…”

The Role of Dimensions of Emotion Dysregulation Following Exposure to Maltreatment and Adult Victimization

“…Specifically, across studies, adults who reported greater use of these negative ER strategies also reported higher levels of PTSS. Trauma exposure has also been linked with impulsivity and lack of access to adaptive ER strategies (Rizeq & McCann, 2023). Further, ASA has been tied to greater ER difficulties following CSA specifically (Messman-Moore et al, 2013).…”

“…Prior work has also focused largely on ER as a broader construct, as opposed to examining the specific dimensions of emotion dysregulation. When studies have investigated different facets of emotion dysregulation, not all of the dimensions were related to trauma exposure or PTSS (e.g., Charak et al, 2018; Rizeq & McCann, 2021). Emotion dysregulation has also been identified as a potentially salient factor in the symptom severity of PTSS (Messman-Moore & Bhuptani, 2017; Pencea et al, 2020).…”