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. 2013 Aug 1;37(4):697-703.
doi: 10.1007/s10608-013-9529-0.

Examination of Increased Mental Contamination as a Potential Mechanism in the Association Between Disgust Sensitivity and Sexual Assault-Related Posttraumatic Stress

Christal L Badour  1 , Matthew T Feldner, Heidemarie Blumenthal, Sarah J Bujarski
Affiliations

Examination of Increased Mental Contamination as a Potential Mechanism in the Association Between Disgust Sensitivity and Sexual Assault-Related Posttraumatic Stress

Christal L Badour et al. Cognit Ther Res. .

Abstract

Disgust sensitivity and feelings of mental contamination have both been independently linked to posttraumatic stress symptoms following sexual assault. Theory suggests that feelings of mental contamination may arise, at least in part, as a result of interpreting feelings of disgust experienced in relation to sexual assault to mean that one has been contaminated or tainted by the experience. This study involved an initial test of this model by examining relations among disgust sensitivity, feelings of mental contamination, and posttraumatic stress symptom severity among a sample of female sexual assault victims. Results suggested that one mechanism through which disgust sensitivity might relate to posttraumatic stress symptom severity is through its association with increased feelings of mental contamination. These findings highlight the importance of assessing feelings of disgust and mental contamination among victims of sexual assault, and the need for future research to elucidate the nature of these relations with posttraumatic stress.

Keywords: Disgust; Mental contamination; PTSD; Posttraumatic stress; Sexual assault.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A diagram of the hypothesized process model. a The total effect of disgust sensitivity on posttraumatic stress symptom severity. b The indirect effect of disgust sensitivity on posttraumatic stress symptom severity through increases in sexual assault-related mental contamination. Unstandardized path coefficients are displayed, with corresponding standardized coefficients in parentheses
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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