Affect dysregulation, psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder
Objective: Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) as defined by the Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS) formulation is associated with childhood relational trauma and involves relational impairment, affect dysregulation, and identity alterations. However, the distinct...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2018-01-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1400878 |
| _version_ | 1797954627981803520 |
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| author | Annemiek van Dijke Juliette A. B. Hopman Julian D. Ford |
| author_facet | Annemiek van Dijke Juliette A. B. Hopman Julian D. Ford |
| author_sort | Annemiek van Dijke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) as defined by the Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS) formulation is associated with childhood relational trauma and involves relational impairment, affect dysregulation, and identity alterations. However, the distinct contributions of relational impairment (operationalized in the form fears of closeness or abandonment), affect dysregulation (operationalized in the form of overregulation and under-regulation of affect), and identity alterations (operationalized in the form of positive or negative psychoform or somatoform dissociation) to the relationship between childhood trauma and CPTSD/DESNOS have not been systematically tested. Method and Results: In a clinical sample of adults diagnosed with severe and chronic psychiatric and personality disorders (n = 472; M = 34.7 years, SD = 10.1), structural equation modelling with bootstrap 95% confidence intervals demonstrated that the association between childhood trauma and CPTSD/DESNOS symptoms in adulthood was partially mediated by under-regulation of affect, negative psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears of closeness and of abandonment. These results also were independent of the effects of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms. Conclusions: Some, but not all, hypothesized components of the DESNOS formulation of CPTSD statistically mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and adult CPTSD/DESNOS. These relationships appear specific to CPTSD/DESNOS and not to the effects of another potential sequelae of childhood trauma BPD. Replication with prospective longitudinal studies is needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:20:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff23e8f3d46e4fbcb39d97dbdf58057f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:20:28Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff23e8f3d46e4fbcb39d97dbdf58057f2023-01-12T15:31:29ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662018-01-019110.1080/20008198.2017.14008781400878Affect dysregulation, psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorderAnnemiek van Dijke0Juliette A. B. Hopman1Julian D. Ford2Yulius Academy/Yulius/COLK Centre for Psychosomatics YuliusYulius Academy/Yulius/COLK Centre for Psychosomatics YuliusUniversity of Connecticut Health CenterObjective: Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) as defined by the Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS) formulation is associated with childhood relational trauma and involves relational impairment, affect dysregulation, and identity alterations. However, the distinct contributions of relational impairment (operationalized in the form fears of closeness or abandonment), affect dysregulation (operationalized in the form of overregulation and under-regulation of affect), and identity alterations (operationalized in the form of positive or negative psychoform or somatoform dissociation) to the relationship between childhood trauma and CPTSD/DESNOS have not been systematically tested. Method and Results: In a clinical sample of adults diagnosed with severe and chronic psychiatric and personality disorders (n = 472; M = 34.7 years, SD = 10.1), structural equation modelling with bootstrap 95% confidence intervals demonstrated that the association between childhood trauma and CPTSD/DESNOS symptoms in adulthood was partially mediated by under-regulation of affect, negative psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears of closeness and of abandonment. These results also were independent of the effects of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms. Conclusions: Some, but not all, hypothesized components of the DESNOS formulation of CPTSD statistically mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and adult CPTSD/DESNOS. These relationships appear specific to CPTSD/DESNOS and not to the effects of another potential sequelae of childhood trauma BPD. Replication with prospective longitudinal studies is needed.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1400878complex posttraumatic stress disorderptsdchildhood traumabpddissociationattachmentaffect dysregulationalexithymiaemotion regulationsomatization |
| spellingShingle | Annemiek van Dijke Juliette A. B. Hopman Julian D. Ford Affect dysregulation, psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder European Journal of Psychotraumatology complex posttraumatic stress disorder ptsd childhood trauma bpd dissociation attachment affect dysregulation alexithymia emotion regulation somatization |
| title | Affect dysregulation, psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder |
| title_full | Affect dysregulation, psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder |
| title_fullStr | Affect dysregulation, psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder |
| title_full_unstemmed | Affect dysregulation, psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder |
| title_short | Affect dysregulation, psychoform dissociation, and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder |
| title_sort | affect dysregulation psychoform dissociation and adult relational fears mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder independent of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder |
| topic | complex posttraumatic stress disorder ptsd childhood trauma bpd dissociation attachment affect dysregulation alexithymia emotion regulation somatization |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1400878 |
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