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Trauma centrality and PTSD symptom severity in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse
Author(s) -
Robinaugh Donald J.,
McNally Richard J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20656
Subject(s) - centrality , psychology , sexual abuse , clinical psychology , childhood abuse , posttraumatic stress , psychiatry , depression (economics) , poison control , injury prevention , medicine , medical emergency , mathematics , combinatorics , economics , macroeconomics
Theorists have posited that regarding a trauma as central to one's identity leads to greater posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. To test this hypothesis, we administered the Centrality of Events Scale (CES) to women reporting a history of childhood sexual abuse ( N = 102). The CES scores were correlated with PTSD symptom severity, depression severity, and self‐esteem. In addition, we conducted a principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate factors underlying the CES. The PCA yielded 3 factors reflecting (a) the centrality and integration of the trauma, (b) whether the event is regarded as a turning point in one's life story, and (c) whether the event is a reference point for expectations about the future. Each factor was associated with PTSD symptom severity.