Shame and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Guilt about surviving a traumatic event is thought to be an associated feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Shame is an emotion closely related to guilt but is a distinct affective state. Little is known regarding the role of shame in PTSD and there are no studies of PTSD where shame and guilt are examined simultaneously. We used a measure of shame- and guilt-proneness in 107 community residing former prisoner of war veterans all of whom had been exposed to trauma. The measure of shame-proneness was positively correlated with PTSD symptom severity whereas guilt-proneness was not. This study provides the first empirical data regarding a possible role for shame in PTSD and may have important therapeutic and theoretical implications.
Leskela
Jennie
J
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417, USA.
Dieperink
Michael
M
Thuras
Paul
P
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012752:Shame; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D014857:Warfare