title: Examination of Increased Mental Contamination as a Potential Mechanism in the Association Between Disgust Sensitivity and Sexual Assault-Related Posttraumatic Stress.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors.forename: Christal L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Badour
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Feldner
authors.forename: Heidemarie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bujarski
keywords: Disgust; Mental contamination; PTSD; Posttraumatic stress; Sexual assault
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2004 Feb;42(2):173-89
references.pmid: 14975779
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 2010 Feb;119(1):143-50
references.pmid: 20141251
references.citation: J Anxiety Disord. 2007;21(7):918-30
references.pmid: 17236747
references.citation: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2009 Jun;40(2):230-9
references.pmid: 19061989
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 1994 Mar;32(3):311-4
references.pmid: 8192629
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 1999 Oct;37(10):941-51
references.pmid: 10472711
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986 Dec;51(6):1173-82
references.pmid: 3806354
references.citation: Behav Modif. 2012 Jan;36(1):67-86
references.pmid: 21937567
references.citation: J Anxiety Disord. 2011 Jan;25(1):58-63
references.pmid: 20800428
references.citation: Depress Anxiety. 2001;13(3):132-56
references.pmid: 11387733
references.citation: J Anxiety Disord. 2012 Jun;26(5):590-8
references.pmid: 22465821
references.citation: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2009 Jun;40(2):219-29
references.pmid: 19041963
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2000 Apr;38(4):319-45
references.pmid: 10761279
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 2002 May;111(2):290-301
references.pmid: 12003450
references.citation: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2011 Sep;42(3):325-9
references.pmid: 21367358
references.citation: J Trauma Stress. 1995 Jan;8(1):75-90
references.pmid: 7712061
references.citation: Struct Equ Modeling. 2008;15(1):23-51
references.pmid: 20179778
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 1999 Apr;156(4):575-84
references.pmid: 10200737
references.citation: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2011 Aug;261(5):369-76
references.pmid: 21132504