title: Full statistical mediation of the relationship between trauma and depressive symptoms.
abstract: Owing to the potentially devastating effects of trauma-induced depression, explaining the relationship between trauma and depressive symptoms is important. In this study, we measured lifelong exposure to potentially traumatic events and depressive symptoms in 370-female undergraduates. We also measured anxiety, past negative time perspective and dissociation as potential mediators. Trauma exposure and depressive symptoms were related with a small but significant effect size (r = .16). Trauma was not associated with dissociation. We found that past negative time perspective and anxiety were full statistical mediators of this trauma-depressive symptoms relationship. These two mediators combined accounted for all of the variance in that association. Anxiety accounted for more of the variance than past negative time perspective. A proposed explanation is that trauma both affectively elevates anxiety and cognitively creates an enduring focus on the events. Chronic anxiety and a past negative time perspective may lead to depression over time. The clinical implications are possible explanations as to why some treatments work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Place
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Shichun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Patihis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Depressive symptoms; Dissociation; Past negative time perspective; Trauma