Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Kelly Rohan
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment – the experience of physical or emotional abuse or neglect or sexual abuse (Gilbert et al., 2009)– is a known risk factor for negative mental health outcomes, including depression (Nelson et al., 2017) and PTSD (Scott et al., 2010). Black sexual minority women (SMW) are understudied and may be at particularly high risk for childhood maltreatment due to multiple intersecting marginalized identities. Understanding the factors that moderate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and negative mental health outcomes elucidates possible points of intervention. The present study investigated the relationship between savoring (a protective factor) and overgeneral memory (a risk factor), and explored the two variables as predictors of mental health symptoms among a sample of Black SMW (N = 109) recruited online in collaboration with community organizations. Savoring was measured using the Savoring Beliefs Inventory (Bryant, 2003) and the Savoring Task (Borelli et al., 2015), and overgeneral memory was assessed rating memories provided on the Autobiographical Memory Test (Williams & Broadbent, 1986). Hierarchical linear regressions were used to investigate the main effects of childhood maltreatment, savoring, and overgeneral memory and their interactive effects on depression and PTSD symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, respectively. While there was no significant association between savoring and overgeneral memory, r(107) = .05, p = .605, regression analyses showed a significant savoring x overgeneral memory interaction such that the negative relationship between savoring and PTSD symptoms was stronger at lower levels of overgeneral memory. Taken together, results suggest that savoring and overgeneral memory are important constructs to assess and target in treatment for trauma. Implications, clinical considerations relevant to Black SWM, and future directions for research are discussed.
Language
en
Number of Pages
101 p.
Recommended Citation
Iyiewuare, Praise, "Savoring and Overgeneral Memory as Moderators of the Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Mental Health Outcomes among Black Sexual Minority Women" (2024). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 1846.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/1846