The Moderating Effect of Childhood Maltreatment on the Relations Among PTSD Symptoms, Positive Urgency, and Negative Urgency

• Published in: Journal of traumatic stress 2017-08, Vol.30 (4), p.432-437
• Main Authors: Price, Matthew, Connor, Julie P., Allen, Holley C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - psychology; Child; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; Childhood; Comorbidity; Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry) - psychology; Emotional abuse; Emotional regulation; Emotions; Female; Humans; Male; Post traumatic stress disorder; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychopathology; Sexual abuse; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Studies; Substance abuse; Substance use disorder; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Symptoms
• ISSN: 0894-9867; 1573-6598
• DOI: 10.1002/jts.22198

Childhood maltreatment increases the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid substance use disorder (SUD). One pathway by which this occurs is through impaired emotion regulation. Past research has shown that negative urgency, a deficit in the regulation of negative emotions, is strongly related to PTSD in those with comorbid SUD. However, there is minimal research on the relation between positive urgency and PTSD in those with comorbid SUD. The current study investigated the association between childhood maltreatment, positive urgency, negative urgency, and PTSD symptoms among those with SUD. Results suggested that PTSD was associated with negative urgency and positive urgency overall. Childhood maltreatment did not moderate the association between negative urgency and PTSD. Childhood emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse moderated the relation between positive urgency and PTSD (ΔR2 = .04 to .10). The association between PTSD and positive urgency was only significant at lower levels of emotional abuse and neglect. Future research should further examine the processing of positive emotions in those with PTSD and comorbid SUD. Findings might inform clinical interventions among populations exposed to childhood maltreatment to reduce or prevent the development of psychopathology. Resumen Spanish s by the Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET) El maltrato infantil aumenta el riesgo de trastorno por estrés postraumático (TEPT) y trastorno por uso de sustancias comórbidas (SUD). Una vía por la cual ésto ocurre es a través de la regulación emocional deteriorada. Investigaciones anteriores han demostrado que la urgencia negativa, un déficit en la regulación de las emociones negativas, está fuertemente relacionada con el TEPT en aquellos con SUD comórbido. Sin embargo, hay investigación mínima sobre la relación entre la urgencia positiva y el TEPT en aquellos con SUD comórbido. El presente estudio investigó la asociación entre el maltrato infantil, la urgencia positiva, la urgencia negativa y los síntomas del TEPT entre aquellos que tenían SUD. Los resultados sugieren que el TEPT se asoció con urgencia negativa y urgencia positiva en general. El maltrato infantil no moderó la asociación entre la urgencia negativa y el TEPT. El maltrato emocional infantil, la negligencia emocional y el abuso sexual moderaron la relación entre la urgencia positiva y el TEPT (ΔR2 = .04 a .10). La asociación entre el TEPT y la urgencia positiva