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Post‐traumatic stress and psychological health following infidelity in unmarried young adults
Author(s) -
Roos Lydia G.,
O'Connor Victoria,
Canevello Amy,
Bennett Jeanette M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
stress and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1532-2998
pISSN - 1532-3005
DOI - 10.1002/smi.2880
Subject(s) - anxiety , psychology , clinical psychology , traumatic stress , depressive symptoms , mental health , cognition , young adult , psychiatry , developmental psychology
Infidelity is often conceptualized as a traumatic event; however, little research has explored this topic empirically, particularly in unmarried adults. We determined the prevalence of infidelity‐related post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among unmarried adults who experienced a partner's infidelity and whether probable infidelity‐related PTSD was associated with additional psychological health outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and anxiety symptoms). We also investigated whether negative post‐traumatic cognitions mediated the associations between infidelity‐related PTSD symptoms and psychological health. This study included 73 adults ( M age = 19.42, SE = 0.19 years) who experienced infidelity within a committed nonmarital relationship within the last 5 years. Controlling for gender, race, and exposure to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders Criterion A traumas, 45.2% of our sample reported symptoms suggesting probable infidelity‐related PTSD. Whether used as continuous or categorical predictor, infidelity‐related PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, although results for perceived stress and anxiety symptoms were mixed. Post‐traumatic cognitions acted as a partial mediator for depressive symptoms and full mediator for perceived stress and anxiety symptoms. This empirical evidence suggests that infidelity may produce PTSD symptoms at a relatively high rate, even in unmarried young adults, and may put individuals at risk for poorer psychological health, partially through post‐traumatic cognitions.