title: Distress after a single violent crime: how shame-proneness and event-related shame work together as risk factors for post-victimization symptoms.
abstract: To increase understanding of post-victimization symptom development, the present study investigated the role of shame- and guilt-proneness and event-related shame and guilt as potential risk factors. 35 individuals (M age = 31.7 yr.; 48.5% women), recently victimized by a single event of severe violent crime, were assessed regarding shame- and guilt-proneness, event-related shame and guilt, and post-victimization symptoms. The mediating role of event-related shame was investigated with structural equation modeling (SEM), using bootstrapping. The guilt measures were unrelated to each other and to post-victimization symptoms. The shame measures were highly intercorrelated and were both positively correlated to more severe post-victimization symptom levels. Event-related shame as mediator between shame-proneness and post-victimization symptoms was demonstrated by prevalent significant indirect effects. Both shame measures are potent risk factors for distress after victimization, whereby part of the effect of shame-proneness on post-victimization symptoms is explained by event-related shame.
authors: Division of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. olof.semb@psychiat.umu.se
authors: Olof
authors: O
authors: Semb
authors: Lotta M J
authors: LM
authors: Strömsten
authors: Elisabet
authors: E
authors: Sundbom
authors: Per
authors: P
authors: Fransson
authors: Mikael
authors: M
authors: Henningsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012752:Shame; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult