Peritraumatic Tonic Immobility and Trauma-Related Symptoms in Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Role of Post-Trauma Cognitions

摘要

Tonic immobility (TI) is a set of involuntary motor responses elicited under conditions of extreme fear and perceived inescapability, and it is one type of peritraumatic distress reported by survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Experiencing TI during CSA is associated with increased risk for developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although less is known about relations between TI and other established risk factors for PTSD. We investigated posttraumatic cognitions as a potential mediator of the relations between peritraumatic fear, perceptions of inescapability, TI, and PTSD symptoms. Specifically, we tested posttraumatic negative beliefs about the self, the world, and self-blame as pathways that might increase risk for PTSD symptoms in CSA survivors who had experienced TI. Forty-six women with a history of unwanted childhood sexual contact completed questionnaires measuring peritraumatic tonic immobility, posttraumatic cognitions, and current posttraumatic stress symptoms. Negative beliefs about the self independently mediated the relation between peritraumatic perceptions of inescapability and PTSD symptoms, but the data did not support similar path model for the physical symptoms of TI and PTSD. We discuss ways in which treatment of survivors and future research on CSA can benefit from attention to the impact of peritraumatic distress on posttraumatic beliefs.