Citation

Li Y, Liang Y. Eur. J. Psychotraumatol. 2023; 14(2): e2272478.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, The Author(s), Publisher Co-action Publishing)

DOI

10.1080/20008066.2023.2272478

PMID

37906088

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Due to the short time that complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) has been an independent diagnosis, few studies have explored the role that self-esteem might play in the relationship between childhood trauma and CPTSD.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to explore the impact of childhood trauma on CPTSD and the role of self-esteem in this relationship.

METHODS: Study 1 involved a questionnaire survey in which a total of 360 young Chinese adults with childhood trauma participated. Study 2 used experimental research by manipulating short-term self-esteem to explore the effect of self-esteem on CPTSD. A total of 80 young Chinese adults with childhood trauma participated.

RESULTS: The results of Study 1 showed that childhood trauma positively predicts adulthood CPTSD, while self-esteem partially mediates the relationship between the two. It also found that self-esteem has a greater mediating effect on the disordered self-organization (DSO) dimension of CPTSD than on the PTSD dimension. In Study 2, participants in the high manipulated-self-esteem group reported fewer CPTSD symptoms than those in the low manipulated-self-esteem group.

CONCLUSION: Overall, this study emphasized the role of self-esteem in CPTSD among individuals with a childhood trauma history. In practice, we provided a potential optimization direction for CPTSD clinical treatment, suggesting a method of self-esteem reconstruction.

Language: en

Keywords

Adult; Humans; Personality; childhood trauma; *Adverse Childhood Experiences; Self Concept; *Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Asian People; autoestima; autoorganización desordenada; Complex posttraumatic stress disorder; disordered self-organization; identidad; identity; self-esteem; Trastorno de estrés postraumático complejo; trauma infantil; 复杂性创伤后应激障碍；童年创伤；自尊自我组织障碍; 同一性