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Evaluation ViewAttendees 13

Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters
Symposia

Symposium 26 - Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Maladaptive Cognitions, and PTSD in Sexual Trauma Survivors: Insights into Moderators and Mediators to Inform Future Treatment Targets

Friday, November 15, 2024
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Location: Regency Ballroom B, Second Floor Mezzanine, Loews Hotel
CE: 1

Keywords: Trauma, Emotion Regulation, Cognitive Processes
Level of Familiarity: All
Recommended Readings: Ehring, T., & Quack, D. (2010). Emotion regulation difficulties in trauma survivors: The role of trauma type and PTSD symptom severity. Behavior therapy, 41(4), 587-598.,   McLean, C. P., Zang, Y., Gallagher, T., Suzuki, N., Yarvis, J. S., Litz, B. T., Mintz, J., Young-McCaughan, S., Peterson, A. L., Foa, E. B., & STRONG STAR Consortium (2019). Trauma-Related Cognitions and Cognitive Emotion Regulation as Mediators of PTSD Change Among Treatment-Seeking Active-Duty Military Personnel With PTSD. Behavior therapy, 50(6), 1053–1062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2019.03.006,   Goldsmith, R. E., Chesney, S. A., Heath, N. M., & Barlow, M. R. (2013). Emotion regulation difficulties mediate associations between betrayal trauma and symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. Journal of traumatic stress, 26(3), 376-384.,   ,  

Sexual trauma is highly prevalent and is often linked to adverse mental health symptoms that tend to decrease naturally over time. However, a smaller percentage of trauma exposed individuals will develop chronic symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), that are known to significantly impact mood and global functioning. Deeper understanding of the symptom profile of PTSD and various risk and resilience factors can help improve assessment and tailor interventions in trauma exposed samples. Emotion regulation (ER) difficulties (i.e., difficulties controlling or modulating one’s emotional state in service of their goals) and cognitive distortions (i.e., irrational thought patterns) have been implicated as prevalent symptoms following sexual trauma; studies have clearly documented their association with PTSD. However, it is less known (i) which factors may strengthen the relationship between ER and/or cognitive difficulties and PTSD, (ii) if types of cognitions and/or levels of ER following trauma may predict PTSD symptoms, (iii) whether changes in ER mediate the relationship between betrayal and PTSD symptoms in the early aftermath of sexual trauma. This symposium aims to evaluate these key questions across populations that have particularly high rates of sexual trauma: women, military personnel, and veterans.

The first presenter will discuss the relationship between trauma history, post-trauma cognitive patterns, and PTSD outcome scores to better understand how cognitions relate to PTSD in a study of active duty military and veterans seeking military sexual trauma (MST) related PTSD treatment. Findings show that increased rates of cognitive distortions predict higher levels of PTSD and, more specifically, high levels of negative cognitions about the world predicted higher levels of PTSD. These findings provide evidence of the importance of cognitive patterns in symptom profiles of PTSD. The second presenter will discuss the role of sex and number of lifetime trauma exposure types in the relationship between ER and PTSD symptoms in the same military sample. Results demonstrate that increased difficulties in regulating emotion is significantly associated with more PTSD symptoms and that ER is associated with PTSD symptoms in females, but not males. Finally, the third presenter will examine change in ER as a mediator between betrayal in the recent aftermath of sexual trauma and subsequent PTSD symptoms longitudinally in a nationwide sample of women. Findings indicate that higher betrayal is associated with worsening ER, which in turn is associated with PTSD symptoms. These results point to the importance of utilizing ER skills as an early intervention following sexual trauma in order to mitigate downstream effects on PTSD symptoms. Overall, this symposium sheds light on for who and how ER difficulties and cognitive patterns may be associated with PTSD symptoms which provides critical implications for clinical assessment and treatment consequent to sexual trauma.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Explain relationships between cognitive and emotion regulation difficulties and PTSD symptoms among sexual trauma survivors.
  2. List factors impacting the relationship between emotion regulation and/or cognitive patterns and PTSD symptoms in a military population.
  3. Explain whether changes in emotion regulation mediates the relationship between betrayal and PTSD symptoms among female sexual trauma survivors.
  4. List the unique and important factors to consider in developing interventions for populations affected by sexual trauma.
  5. Describe the clinical presentation of cognitive and emotional dysregulation in presentations of PTSD.

Presentations:

  • 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST
    (SYM 26) The Relationship Between Posttraumatic Cognitions, Emotion Regulation, and PTSD Symptoms Among Active-duty Military and Veteran Survivors of Military Sexual Assault

    Speaker: Jillian M. Arenz, Ph.D. (She/they) – Weill Cornell Medicine

    Co-author: Olivia Baryluk, B.S. (she/her/hers) – Weill Cornell Medicine

    Co-author: Mariel Emrich, B.S. – University of Connecticut

    Co-author: Megan Olden, Ph.D – Weill Cornell Medicine

    Co-author: Katarzyna Wyka, Ph.D – Weill Cornell Medicine

    Co-author: JoAnn Difede, Ph.D. – Weill Cornell Medicine

  • 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST
    (SYM 26) Does Sex and Lifetime Trauma Moderate the Relationship Between Emotion Regulation and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms in a Military Sexual Trauma-related PTSD Treatment Seeking Sample?

    Speaker: Olivia Baryluk, B.S. (she/her/hers) – Weill Cornell Medicine

    Co-author: Mariel Emrich, B.S. – University of Connecticut

    Co-author: Megan Olden, Ph.D – Weill Cornell Medicine

    Co-author: Katarzyna Wyka, Ph.D – Weill Cornell Medicine

    Co-author: JoAnn Difede, Ph.D. – Weill Cornell Medicine

  • 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST
    (SYM 26) Change in Emotion Regulation Mediates the Relationship Between Betrayal in the Recent Aftermath of Sexual Trauma and Subsequent Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

    Speaker: Mariel Emrich, B.S. – University of Connecticut

    Co-author: Crystal L. Park, Ph.D. – University of Connecticut

    Co-author: Erika Osherow, M.A. – University of Connecticut

    Co-author: JoAnn Difede, Ph.D. – Weill Cornell Medicine