Avoidance Coping Partially Accounts for the Relationship Between Trauma-Related Shame and PTSD Symptoms Following Interpersonal Trauma

Research has demonstrated that individuals experiencing trauma-related shame exhibit greater posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, little research has investigated additional factors relevant to the shame-PTSD relationship. The current study examined the role of avoidance and approach coping in accounting for the trauma-related shame-PTSD association among 60 women who had experienced interpersonal trauma. Indirect effects tests revealed that avoidance coping partially accounted for the association between shame and interviewer-assessed PTSD symptoms, beta = .21, SE = 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.03, 0.36]. These findings offer a novel contribution to the growing literature examining negative outcomes following interpersonal trauma.