Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Apr;30(2):190-194.
doi: 10.1002/jts.22179.

The Association Between Peritraumatic Dissociation and PTSD Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Negative Beliefs About the Self

Johanna Thompson-Hollands  1   2 , Janie J Jun  1 , Denise M Sloan  1   2
Affiliations

The Association Between Peritraumatic Dissociation and PTSD Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Negative Beliefs About the Self

Johanna Thompson-Hollands et al. J Trauma Stress. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

Peritraumatic dissociation, a term used to describe a complex array of reactions to trauma, including depersonalization, derealization, and emotional numbness, has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms across a number of studies. Cognitive theory suggests that interpretations of traumatic events and reactions underlie the persistence of PTSD. The present study examined the associations among peritraumatic dissociation, posttraumatic cognitions, and PTSD symptoms in a group of trauma-exposed adults (N = 169). Results indicated that, after accounting for overall symptom severity and current dissociative tendencies, peritraumatic dissociation was significantly predictive of negative beliefs about the self (R2 = .06, p < .001). Other categories of maladaptive posttraumatic cognitions did not show a similar relationship (R2 = .01 to .02, nonsignificant). Negative thoughts about the self partially mediated the association between peritraumatic dissociation and PTSD severity (completely standardized indirect effect = .25). These findings lend support to cognitive theories of PTSD and point to an important area for clinical intervention.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mediation model. CI = confidence interval; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder; SE = standard error; *p < .50. ***p < .001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5. Arlington, VA: Author; 2013.
    1. Bovin MJ, Dodson TS, Smith BN, Gregor K, Marx BP, Pineles SL. Does guilt mediate the association between tonic immobility and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in female trauma survivors? Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2014;27:721–724. doi: 10.1002/jts.21963. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Breh DC, Seidler GH. Is peritraumatic dissociation a risk factor for PTSD? Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. 2007;8:53–69. doi: 10.1300/J229v08n01_04. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ehlers A, Clark DM. A cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2000;38:319–345. doi: 10.1016/S0005-7967(99)00123-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. First MB, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW, Gibbon M. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1995.

Publication types