Variables Affecting Trauma Symptoms in Forensic Population
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Role of Emotion Regulation and Social Problem Solving Skills in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms in an Adult Male Forensic Mental Health Population?
IRAS ID
215140
Contact name
Susan Allan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Tayside
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 5 days
Research summary
Studies indicate that experience of childhood maltreatment is likely to be associated with trauma symptomatology in adulthood and cumulative childhood trauma has been shown to be related to more complex symptoms in adults (Cloitre et al, 2009). Despite high prevalence rates of PTSD in childhood trauma survivors, not all individuals, who have experienced childhood maltreatment, develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD: full) or post-traumatic stress symptoms (sub-threshold). This suggests that there are variables that can enhance or diminish vulnerability to PTSD.
Experience of childhood maltreatment has been associated with the development of emotion dysregulation (difficulties in recognising, accepting, understanding and managing emotions) which is a feature of trauma symptomatology. Emotion regulation difficulties have been shown to be related to more severe PTSD (Tull et al, 2007). Research indicates that emotion regulation may play an important role in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and the development and/or maintenance of trauma symptomatology (Burns et al., 2010). There is also evidence to suggest that poor social problem solving skills are associated with a history of trauma experience/s and have been linked to poorer adaptive functioning, behavioural difficulties and negative psychological impacts (D’Zurilla & Nezu, 2010). Evidence suggests social problem solving can serve as protective strategy against psychological difficulties and, therefore, may enhance or diminish vulnerability to trauma symptomatology.
Social problem solving deficits and PTSD (full and sub-threshold) are highly prevalent in the forensic population. Studies have shown links between childhood maltreatment and emotion regulation in the development of PTSD. There is, however, a paucity of research investigating these variables and the links between these variables in the forensic population. No study to date has investigated the relationships between childhood maltreatment, social problem solving abilities, emotion regulation and trauma symptomatology. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between these variables, using self-report questionnaires, in an adult male forensic mental health population.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
17/ES/0019
Date of REC Opinion
23 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion