Emotion identification and emotion sensitivity following interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumatic experiences: Results from the AURORA study

Chloe C Hudson^{1

2

3}, Lauren Rutter⁴, Jutta Joormann⁵, Eliza Passell⁶, Rory M McKemey¹, Stacey L House⁷, Francesca L Beaudoin^{8

9}, Xinming An¹⁰, Jennifer S Stevens¹¹, Thomas C Neylan¹², Tanja Jovanovic¹³, Sarah D Linnstaedt¹⁰, Scott L Rauch^{3

6

14}, John P Haran¹⁵, Alan B Storrow¹⁶, Christopher Lewandowski¹⁷, Paul I Musey Jr¹⁸, Phyllis L Hendry¹⁹, Sophia Sheikh¹⁹, Christopher W Jones²⁰, Brittany E Punches^{21

22}, Lauren A Hudak²³, Jose L Pascual^{24

25}, Mark J Seamon^{25

26}, Elizabeth M Datner^{27

28}, Claire Pearson²⁹, David A Peak³⁰, Roland C Merchant³¹, Robert M Domeier³², Niels K Rathlev³³, Brian J O'Neil³⁴, Paulina Sergot³⁵, Leon D Sanchez^{31

36}, Steven E Bruce³⁷, Steven E Harte^{38

39}, Ronald C Kessler⁴⁰, Karestan C Koenen⁴¹, Samuel A McLean^{42

43}, Laura T Germine^{3

6

44}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
² Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
⁶ Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
⁸ Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02930, USA.
⁹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02930, USA.
¹⁰ Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
¹² Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
¹³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
¹⁶ Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
¹⁸ Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine -Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, 32209, USA.
²⁰ Department of Emergency Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA.
²¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
²² Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
²³ Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
²⁴ Department of Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
²⁵ Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
²⁶ Department of Surgery, Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
²⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Jefferson Einstein hospital, Jefferson Health, Philadelphia, PA, 19141, USA.
²⁸ Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
²⁹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, MI, 48236, USA.
³⁰ Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
³¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
³² Department of Emergency Medicine, Trinity Health-Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA.
³³ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, MA, 01107, USA.
³⁴ Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit Receiving Hospital, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
³⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
³⁶ Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
³⁷ Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA.
³⁸ Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
³⁹ Department of Internal Medicine-Rheumatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
⁴⁰ Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁴¹ Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁴² Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA.
⁴³ Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA.
⁴⁴ The Many Brains Project, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.

PMID: 40843243
PMCID: PMC12362647
DOI: 10.1177/21677026251356428

Emotion identification and emotion sensitivity following interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumatic experiences: Results from the AURORA study

Chloe C Hudson et al. Clin Psychol Sci. 2025.

. 2025 Aug 16:10.1177/21677026251356428.

doi: 10.1177/21677026251356428. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
² Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
⁶ Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
⁸ Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02930, USA.
⁹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02930, USA.
¹⁰ Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
¹² Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
¹³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
¹⁶ Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
¹⁸ Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine -Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, 32209, USA.
²⁰ Department of Emergency Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA.
²¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
²² Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
²³ Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
²⁴ Department of Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
²⁵ Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
²⁶ Department of Surgery, Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
²⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Jefferson Einstein hospital, Jefferson Health, Philadelphia, PA, 19141, USA.
²⁸ Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
²⁹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, MI, 48236, USA.
³⁰ Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
³¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
³² Department of Emergency Medicine, Trinity Health-Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA.
³³ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, MA, 01107, USA.
³⁴ Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit Receiving Hospital, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
³⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
³⁶ Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
³⁷ Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA.
³⁸ Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
³⁹ Department of Internal Medicine-Rheumatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
⁴⁰ Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁴¹ Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁴² Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA.
⁴³ Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27559, USA.
⁴⁴ The Many Brains Project, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.

PMID: 40843243
PMCID: PMC12362647
DOI: 10.1177/21677026251356428

Abstract

Social cognition is an important mechanism linking trauma to psychopathology; however, current models fail to explain individual differences in social cognition after trauma exposure. We investigated whether the interpersonal nature of trauma exposure helps to explain variability in social cognitive outcomes. Our sample was derived from the AURORA study, a national initiative involving intensive follow-up of trauma survivors for one year. We analyzed data from 2241 participants (M_age = 35.12, 64% female, 54% Black) who experienced an assault (n = 262) or a motor vehicle collision (n = 1979). Social cognition was assessed with the Multiracial Emotion Identification Task and the Belmont Emotion Sensitivity Test. Overall emotion identification accuracy declined over time among participants who experienced interpersonal trauma (β = -.10, p = .03), but not non-interpersonal trauma (β = .00, p = .83). These results may help to enhance the prediction of psychopathological outcomes following trauma exposure.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Neylan has received research support from NIH, VA, and Rainwater Charitable Foundation, and consulting income from Jazz Pharmaceuticals.Dr. Jovanovic receives support from the National Institute of Mental Health, R01 MH129495.Dr. Rauch reported serving as secretary of the Society of Biological Psychiatry; serving as a board member of Community Psychiatry and Mindpath Health; serving as a board member of National Association of Behavioral Healthcare; serving as secretary and a board member for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America; serving as a board member of the National Network of Depression Centers; receiving royalties from Oxford University Press, American Psychiatric Publishing Inc, and Springer Publishing; and receiving personal fees from the Society of Biological Psychiatry, Community Psychiatry and Mindpath Health, and National Association of Behavioral Healthcare outside the submitted work.Dr. Jones has no competing interests related to this work, though he has been an investigator on studies funded by AstraZeneca, Vapotherm, Abbott, and Ophirex.Dr. Datner serves as a Medical Advisor and on the Board of Directors for Cayaba Care.Dr. Harte has no competing interest related to this work, though in the last three years he has received research funding from NIH, Aptinyx, and Arbor Medical Innovations, and consulting payments from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Indiana University Indianapolis, The Ohio State University, and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Wayne State University.In the past 3 years, Dr. Kessler was a consultant for Cambridge Health Alliance, Canandaigua VA Medical Center, Holmusk, Partners Healthcare, Inc., RallyPoint Networks, Inc., and Sage Therapeutics. He has stock options in Cerebral Inc., Mirah, PYM, and Roga Sciences.Dr. Koenen’s has been a paid scientific consultant for the US Department of Justice and Covington Burling, LLP over the last three years. She receives royalties from Guilford Press and Oxford University Press.Dr. McLean has served as a consultant for Walter Reed Army Institute for Research, Arbor Medical Innovations, and BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc.Dr. Germine receives funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH121617) and is on the board of the Many Brains Project. Her family also has equity in Intelerad Medical Systems, Inc.

Figures

**Figure 1.**
Effect of Time on Emotion Identification Accuracy Stratified by Trauma Type

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Emotion identification and emotion sensitivity following interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumatic experiences: Results from the AURORA study

Affiliations

Emotion identification and emotion sensitivity following interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumatic experiences: Results from the AURORA study

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources