The moderational effect of sexual assault on the relation between social support and PTSD

Conference Year

January 2019

Abstract

Elevated social support is associated with lower PTSD symptoms after trauma. Social support may protect against PTSD through self-compassion, or kindness directed towards the self. This pathway may represent how an external social support enhances self-compassion to reduce PTSD. These relations are hypothesized to differ for victims of sexual assault (SA). SA is associated with more shame and guilt cognitions, which may attenuate this pathway. It was hypothesized that an index trauma of SA would moderate the mediating relation between social support, self-compassion, and PTSD. Also, social support and self-compassion would be lower for those who experienced SA, and PTSD symptoms would be higher. Participants were 358 individuals, 180 with an SA index trauma. Self-compassion, social support, and PTSD were assessed with validated self-report measures. Self-compassion (t(356)=2.68, p=.01) was lower in the SA group. Also, PTSD symptoms were higher for those in the SA group (t(356)=4.46, p<.01). However, SA did not moderate the mediated path between social support to self-compassion to PTSD (b=-.22, 95%CI: -.61 to .01). Social support was associated with increased self-compassion but was not related to PTSD symptoms. Self-compassion was negatively related to PTSD such that increased self compassion was associated with decreased PTSD symptoms. The moderational effect of SA status on the path between self-compassion and PTSD was non-significant

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Matthew Price

Faculty/Staff Collaborators

Matthew Price (Faculty Mentor)

Status

Graduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

Psychological Science

Primary Research Category

Social Sciences

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The moderational effect of sexual assault on the relation between social support and PTSD

Elevated social support is associated with lower PTSD symptoms after trauma. Social support may protect against PTSD through self-compassion, or kindness directed towards the self. This pathway may represent how an external social support enhances self-compassion to reduce PTSD. These relations are hypothesized to differ for victims of sexual assault (SA). SA is associated with more shame and guilt cognitions, which may attenuate this pathway. It was hypothesized that an index trauma of SA would moderate the mediating relation between social support, self-compassion, and PTSD. Also, social support and self-compassion would be lower for those who experienced SA, and PTSD symptoms would be higher. Participants were 358 individuals, 180 with an SA index trauma. Self-compassion, social support, and PTSD were assessed with validated self-report measures. Self-compassion (t(356)=2.68, p=.01) was lower in the SA group. Also, PTSD symptoms were higher for those in the SA group (t(356)=4.46, p<.01). However, SA did not moderate the mediated path between social support to self-compassion to PTSD (b=-.22, 95%CI: -.61 to .01). Social support was associated with increased self-compassion but was not related to PTSD symptoms. Self-compassion was negatively related to PTSD such that increased self compassion was associated with decreased PTSD symptoms. The moderational effect of SA status on the path between self-compassion and PTSD was non-significant