Emotion Dysregulation Prospectively Predicts Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity 3 Months After Trauma Exposure

Abstract

Abstract Despite growing evidence in support of emotion dysregulation as a risk factor for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma exposure, few studies have examined temporal relations between emotion dysregulation and the onset and/or worsening of PTSD symptoms over time. The aim of the present study was to extend research on temporal associations between emotion dysregulation and PTSD in a sample of individuals recruited from hospital emergency departments soon after a traumatic event. Adult participants ( N = 85; 62.4% female) completed self‐report measures of emotion dysregulation and PTSD symptoms within 2 weeks of experiencing a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD were assessed approximately 3 months posttrauma. The results of a hierarchical linear regression analysis demonstrated that the inclusion of emotion dysregulation accounted for a significant amount of unique variance, β = .23, Δ R 2 = .04, p = .042, in 3‐month PTSD symptom severity over and above other risk factors and baseline PTSD symptoms. No specific facet of emotion dysregulation emerged as a significant predictor of 3‐month PTSD symptoms when all facets were included on the same step of the model, βs = −.04–.33, p s = .133–.954. These results demonstrate that posttraumatic emotion dysregulation may predict PTSD symptoms 3 months after trauma exposure. These findings are consistent with a growing body of literature that speaks to the relevance of emotional processes to the onset and maintenance of PTSD following exposure to a traumatic event.