Changes in emotion regulation in adults with and without a history of childhood abuse following posttraumatic stress disorder treatment.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared changes in emotion regulation and trait affect over the course of PTSD treatment with either prolonged exposure (PE) therapy or sertraline in adults with and without a history of childhood abuse (CA).


METHODS
Two hundred adults with PTSD received 10 weeks of PE or sertraline. Emotion regulation and trait affect were assessed pre- and posttreatment and at 6-month follow-up with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003), the Negative Mood Regulation Scale (Catanzaro & Mearns, 1990), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988).


RESULTS
Individuals with and without a history of CA did not differ from one another at pretreatment on PTSD severity, emotion regulation, or positive/negative affect. In addition, treatment was effective at improving emotion regulation and trait affect in those with and without a history of CA, and no significant differences in emotion regulation or trait affect emerged posttreatment or at 6-month follow-up between adults with and without a history of CA. Furthermore, noninferiority analyses indicated that the emotion regulation and trait affect outcomes of individuals with a history of CA were no worse than those of individuals without a history of CA.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings cast doubt on the assumption that CA is associated with worse emotion regulation following PTSD treatment, arguing against assertions that a history of CA itself is a contraindication for traditional PTSD treatment, and that there is a clear necessity for additional interventions designed to target assumed emotion regulation deficits. [Corrected]
Department of Psychology, University of Washington.
Alissa B
AB
Jerud
Department of Psychology, University of Washington.
Lori A
LA
Zoellner
Department of Psychology, University of Washington.
Larry D
LD
Pruitt
Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University.
Norah C
NC
Feeny
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline