title: Coping, emotion regulation, and self-blame as mediators of sexual abuse and psychological symptoms in adult sexual assault.
abstract: This study examined whether coping, emotion regulation, and self-blame mediate relationships of trauma histories with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in adult sexual assault victims (N = 1863). A path analysis showed that theorized mediators partially mediated associations between trauma history variables and psychological symptoms. Specifically, child sexual abuse severity was related to greater post-traumatic stress disorder and depression indirectly through maladaptive coping and decreased emotion regulation but not self-blame. Other traumas had direct relationships with symptoms and partially mediated effects through maladaptive coping and emotion regulation. Child sexual abuse was unrelated to self-blame, but other traumas were related to greater self-blame. Results differed according to whether women had counseling post-assault. Implications are drawn for future research and clinical treatment of adult sexual assault victims.
authors.affiliation: a University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago , Illinois , USA.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ullman
authors.forename: Liana C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Peter-Hagene
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Relyea
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult