Citation

Schackner JN, Weiss NH, Edwards KM, Sullivan TP. J. Interpers. Violence 2017; ePub(ePub): 886260517727493.

Affiliation

Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0886260517727493

PMID

29294901

Abstract

Women's experiences of negative social reactions to disclosure of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization have been linked to greater posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. However, research has not identified factors that may explain this association. The goal of the current study was to extend research in this area by elucidating the potential mediating role of avoidant coping in the relations among negative and positive social reactions to IPV disclosure and PTSD symptom severity. Participants were 173 community women currently experiencing IPV who disclosed their victimization to another individual ( M age = 36.31, 65.9% African American).

FINDINGS revealed that IPV-victimized women who experienced greater negative social reactions to IPV endorsed higher levels of avoidant coping and greater PTSD symptom severity. Moreover, avoidant coping was found to mediate the negative social reactions-PTSD symptom severity association.

RESULTS highlight the relevance of avoidant coping to the link between negative social reactions to IPV disclosure and PTSD symptom severity, and suggest that prevention and intervention efforts targeting avoidant coping may be useful in reducing PTSD symptom severity among IPV-exposed women who experience negative social reactions to IPV disclosure.

Language: en

Keywords

avoidant coping; disclosure; intimate partner violence; negative social reactions; positive social reactions; posttraumatic stress disorder