The impacts of racial trauma are pervasive, and race-based traumatic stress overlaps with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, research has also suggested that some events that cause race-based traumatic stress may not align with current definitions of trauma, and questions remain on the role of racial identity. This study extends the literature by comparing race-based and nonrace-based trauma on symptom outcomes, within the context of racial identity. The sample consisted of Black adults (N = 175) with lifetime trauma exposure, approximately half (54.3%) of whom were female. Participants completed an online survey, which included measures of trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, trauma symptoms of discrimination, and racial identity. Hierarchical linear regressions and moderations were performed to examine the relative influence of trauma type and racial identity on symptoms. Compared with nonrace-based traumas, race-based index traumas were associated with greater trauma symptoms of discrimination but not PTSD symptoms. Racial identity dimensions of ideology and centrality moderated the relations between race-based index trauma with PTSD symptoms and trauma symptoms of discrimination, respectively. Findings highlight how race-based traumas align with criterion A traumas and impact mental health beyond PTSD symptoms. Findings also elucidate the role of racial identity, particularly ideology and centrality, in understanding the nuanced mental health impacts of trauma exposure. This research can inform more relevant, culturally salient treatments and underscores the urgent need for structural-level interventions that reduce the incidence of racial trauma, promoting social justice and equity for marginalized communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Document trauma-sensitive yoga (TSY) acceptability, appropriateness, interest, motivators, barriers, and preferences in U.S. adults with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and conduct gender comparisons as a preimplementation study for TSY program planning and to advance research-to-practice integration. Quota sampling was used to recruit men (n = 63) and women (n = 65) via a crowdsourcing platform for an online mixed-method survey. Descriptives and independent samples t tests, chi-square tests, and effect sizes were calculated. TSY was rated as acceptable and appropriate for trauma care. Most participants had never heard of TSY (90.62%) and indicated interest in it (96.09%). Top barriers were cost, time, and lack of awareness of programs. Top motivators were mental health support and curiosity. Program preferences were for virtual asynchronous groups open for any trauma survivors. Participants reported wanting programs with education about yoga and trauma and check-ins with the facilitator. Average preferences were for 7-week programs with 3, 45-min sessions a week with optional home practice. Women reported significantly more interest and weeks compared to men. Preference differences emerged for making up missed sessions and recording homework. U.S. adults with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and limited TSY experience rated TSY as acceptable and appropriate for trauma care. Most participants were interested in TSY programs and TSY integrated with psychotherapy, yet awareness of programs was a barrier. TSY facilitators and mental health providers can collaborate to increase awareness of TSY as an empirically supported adjunctive posttraumatic stress disorder intervention and design programs based on preferences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Sexual victimization is highly prevalent among college women and is linked to significant psychological distress. Yet, some survivors also report posttraumatic growth (PTG) or positive psychological change following adversity. Social reactions to disclosure of sexual victimization are critical determinants of survivors' recovery, but mechanisms explaining their influence on both distress and growth remain underexplored. Guided by resilience theory, this study examined coping, emotion regulation, and social support as mediators linking social reactions to disclosure with psychological distress and PTG. Participants were 241 cisgender college women (ages 18-24) in Massachusetts and Rhode Island who reported sexual victimization and disclosure. Participants completed validated measures of disclosure reactions, coping, emotion regulation, social support, psychological distress, and PTG through an online survey. Path analysis tested indirect associations among variables. Turning-against reactions were indirectly associated with greater psychological distress via lower emotion regulation and with lower PTG via reduced social support. Positive social reactions were indirectly associated with higher PTG through greater coping and social support. Unsupportive acknowledgment reactions were not significantly related to distress or PTG. Findings demonstrate that disclosure reactions can either exacerbate distress or foster growth, depending on their quality. Emotion regulation, coping, and social support emerged as key mechanisms linking disclosure experiences to survivors' outcomes. Results underscore the importance of preparing both informal and formal support providers to respond supportively to disclosures and suggest that interventions targeting survivors' coping, social support, and emotion regulation may reduce distress and promote growth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
People and Communities of Color are increasingly impacted by nativist policies and practices, often resulting in psychological distress and ethno-racial trauma. Despite these harms, few interventions explicitly address this form of trauma, leaving practitioners without adequate conceptual and clinical guidance. This article aimed to highlight a culturally responsive and racially conscious trauma-informed framework for addressing ethno-racial trauma in the context of racism and nativist oppression. This clinical article centers the Healing Ethno and Racial Trauma (HEART) framework (Chavez-Dueñas et al., 2019), drawing on the principles of trauma-informed care, liberation psychology, and intersectionality theory. HEART is examined through conceptual analysis and illustrated using a hypothetical clinical case to demonstrate its application in practice. The analysis demonstrates how the HEART framework equips mental health providers to engage in ethical "whistleblowing," conceptualized as both a literal and metaphorical responsibility to protect human rights and challenge systemic harm. The framework offers structured clinical pathways for addressing psychological distress linked to racist and nativist policies targeting Communities of Color. The article underscores the role of mental health professionals in resisting human rights violations through clinical practices rooted in an ethic of care, protection, and resistance. The HEART framework provides a critical foundation for ethically responsive practice and future applied and empirical work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Dissociation is commonly encountered in mental health services, yet most clinicians lack formal training in its presentation, assessment, and treatment among children and adolescents. This pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a clinician- and lived experience-codesigned 3-hr, in-person training workshop and explored preliminary changes in clinicians' knowledge, confidence, and beliefs about children and adolescents with dissociation. Forty multidisciplinary clinicians employed in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Western Australia attended a 3-hr, in-person workshop. Participants completed pre- and posttraining surveys assessing feasibility, acceptability, knowledge, confidence, and beliefs about children and adolescents with dissociation, alongside qualitative feedback. The training was highly acceptable to clinicians and feasible to deliver within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Dependent-samples t tests showed significant pre-post improvements with "moderate" to "very large" effect sizes in participants' ratings of training usefulness and relevance (d = 0.61), knowledge (d = 1.52), and confidence working with children and adolescents with dissociation (d = 1.16). Empathy toward children and adolescents with dissociation improved (d = 0.62), and endorsement of negative beliefs decreased (ds from 0.55 to 0.75). Qualitative feedback emphasized the training's usefulness and a desire for longer workshops to consolidate and translate new knowledge into practice. A codesigned, targeted, relatively brief training can enhance clinicians' knowledge and confidence to recognize, assess, and treat dissociation in children and adolescents, supporting continuation of this research in a larger trial. Incorporating such content into graduate curricula and workplace professional development may help address a critical gap in child and adolescent mental health care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Indigenous communities endure intergenerational and ongoing traumas. Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) is an empirically supported yoga-based intervention for complex trauma. To become a TCTSY facilitator, candidates complete a 20-hr training followed by a 300-hr certification program. This community-based research documented the first Indigenous TCTSY Facilitator Training Cohort's perspectives on TCTSY's acceptability, feasibility, and utility. Protocols were developed with community partners, and researchers engaged in reflexivity practices and Indigenous cultural learnings. Twenty interviews were conducted with 15 adult interviewees: 14 program participants (13 women) who completed the 20-hr training and one program mentor. From the 14 program participants (11 Great Plains Tribal Nations, with four Tribal citizens and seven descendants), 10 enrolled in the 300-hr training, and three completed the full certification. Interviews were analyzed using the consensual qualitative research method. Most participants reported the training positively impacted their approach to trauma care and some aspects (e.g., body-based modality) aligned with current healing approaches. Common training takeaways included learning about the effects of trauma and the value of invitational language. Participants endorsed intentions to integrate TCTSY for personal and community healing; examples of integration included smudging/burning of medicines (e.g., sage), land-based practice for connection to nature, and intentional movement within ceremony space. Program improvements included additional emphasis on yoga history/philosophy, collaborations with elders, and acknowledgment of current community trauma. A community-based research framework provided opportunities to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of TCTSY for Indigenous communities in a culturally relevant and trauma-informed way. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Racial-based traumatic stress (RBTS) is a well-established, transdiagnostic risk factor associated with mental and physical health concerns among people of color. RBTS may arise immediately following a discriminatory encounter or develop as a psychological response to repeated racial stress. Racial microaggressions, subtle, ambiguous discriminatory events, are particularly harmful, as their cumulative impact can contribute to significant psychological distress. Although prior research has documented strong, bidirectional links between racial microaggressions and posttraumatic stress, no study has examined the extent to which microaggressions predict RBTS or how individual risk and resilience factors shape this relationship. A racially diverse people of color sample (N = 880, Mage = 23.4, SD = 3.24) was recruited using an online cross-sectional survey assessing racial microaggressions, RBTS, psychological distress, coping, and ethnic identity. Structural equation modeling was used to examine parallel and moderated mediation models. Racial microaggressions predicted psychological distress indirectly through both immediate and current RBTS, with the direct effect nonsignificant, indicating full mediation. Negative coping strengthened, whereas positive coping weakened, the links between microaggressions and RBTS. Affirmed ethnic identity showed mixed effects, offering protection when adaptive coping was high and maladaptive coping was low. Conditional indirect effects indicated that trauma pathways were strongest under high negative coping and low positive coping. These findings suggest that racial microaggressions contribute to distress chiefly through trauma-related mechanisms, including immediate reactions. Coping strategies and ethnic identity shaped these pathways, underscoring the clinical value of fostering adaptive coping and identity-affirming practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Social identities shape recovery after trauma, yet little is known about how different identity types foster resilience or perpetuate distress in survivors of domestic violence (DV). We investigated whether the number and centrality (i.e., subjective importance) of family and community identities predicted psychological and physiological health among women accessing DV support services in Ireland, an understudied population in trauma research. Sixty-four women (Mage = 43.87 years) reported their meaningful social group memberships, coded as family, community, and total identities. Psychological outcomes were complex posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth. The physiological outcome was salivary secretory immunoglobulin A, a biomarker of mucosal immune function. Multiple regression models with bootstrapped estimates (5,000 resamples) tested associations between identity variables and health outcomes. The total number of identities did not predict outcomes. However, greater number and centrality of family identities were robustly associated with higher complex posttraumatic stress symptoms. In contrast, greater number of community identities predicted lower complex posttraumatic stress symptoms, higher posttraumatic growth, and higher secretory immunoglobulin A levels. Centrality of community identities also predicted higher posttraumatic growth. Effect sizes were large, with confidence intervals excluding zero. Findings highlight the critical role of identity type and centrality in DV recovery. Whereas family identities may exacerbate trauma-related distress, community identities were protective, predicting psychological resilience and enhanced immune function. By focusing on women in Irish DV services, this study broadens trauma recovery research beyond predominantly North American samples. Interventions should prioritize fostering safe, valued community roles to support recovery among DV survivors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a conscious dance (i.e., mindful movement to music) and expressive arts intervention, known as Rhythms of Resilience, to cultivate self-regulation and social connectedness in survivors of complex trauma. Following online recruitment, nine adults (ages 38-69) with complex trauma histories enrolled in the program, which involved six weekly 2.5-hr group sessions conducted through Zoom. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed using the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire as well as other metrics, and self-report measures pre- and postintervention provided outcome data. Six out of nine participants completed the intervention, with the remaining three dropping out due to scheduling conflicts, health reasons, or lack of fit. As per Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire scores, participants deemed the intervention to be credible prior to participation. Half of the group reported clinically significant reductions in posttraumatic symptoms, and there were significant group-level pre/post increases in compassion and social engagement, alongside decreases in fantasy and perspective taking. Contrary to our predictions, no changes were observed in dissociation, interoception, or emotion regulation. The present study indicated that a dance and expressive arts intervention for survivors of complex trauma is not only feasible but also has the potential to produce clinically significant symptom reductions, even in survivors with chronic symptoms. Implications for further development of the intervention, and greater accessibility, are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Traumatic events can evoke significant distress and shape personal and collective identities. In the context of single-event traumas, the relationship between posttraumatic symptoms (PTS) and event centrality (EC) has been found to be reciprocal. However, this dynamic remains unexplored in the context of ongoing conflicts. We examined the temporal dynamics between PTS and EC among Israeli civilians following the events of October 7, 2023. We explored the bidirectional relationship between PTS and EC at 3, 7, 12, and 17 months after the conflict began. Participants (N = 464) completed measures of PTS and EC at each time point. Using the cross-lagged panel model and the random intercept cross-lagged panel model, we examined the cross-lagged associations between PTS and EC. Our findings revealed a bidirectional and phase-sensitive association between PTS and EC. During the early phase (3-7 months), EC was associated with an increase in PTS, suggesting that the centrality of the event can exacerbate distress. In contrast, PTS was associated with an increase in EC during the midphase (7-12 months), suggesting that trauma-related distress may shape the degree to which individuals integrate trauma into their sense of self. These results underscore a dynamic, time-sensitive interplay between distress and meaning-shaping processes. The ascription of centrality to traumatic events in an ongoing conflict may both reflect and amplify PTS. Incorporating identity and meaning-making processes into trauma models may enhance our understanding of coping mechanisms in protracted stress situations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Populations exposed to prolonged conflict and large-scale traumatic events often experience significant psychological and behavioral consequences. This study examines gender differences in trauma responses following exposure to severe stressors, focusing on adjustment and behavioral dysregulation. Using network analysis, we explored the relationships between trauma exposure, emotional mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), behavioral disturbances (e.g., sleeping, night eating syndrome, and emotional eating), and adjustment difficulties in a sample of 486 participants (47% male, 53% female, mean age = 39.99, and SD = 10.55). Our findings revealed significant gender differences: Women exhibited higher levels of night eating, sleeping problems, stress, emotional eating, adjustment difficulties, and PTSD compared to men who reported higher levels of direct exposure to traumatic events. Network analysis highlighted distinct gender-specific emotional-psychological networks: In women, PTSD and adjustment difficulties played a more central role, whereas in men, direct exposure was more influential. PTSD and anxiety symptoms were rigidly connected in women, suggesting a more systemic relationship between these symptoms. These results underscore the need for network-informed interventions that address the unique structural and behavioral consequences of trauma. By identifying key anchors and stressors within gender-specific networks, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of systemic dysregulation and informs targeted mental health interventions aimed at destabilizing the trauma network. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
This study aimed to examine how Israeli grandparents of young grandchildren navigated personal, parental, and grandparental roles during the first month following the October 7, 2023, terror attacks and the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Grandparents hold a central yet understudied role in family systems during collective trauma, but little attention has been paid to grandparents' layered identities and coping strategies. This is a qualitative study with 16 grandmothers and five grandfathers (40-73 years old) based on semistructured in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis yielded three themes with respective subthemes. Theme 1, from interrupted routine to the search for resilience, captures how participants grounded the trauma in daily memories, moving from shock and loss to coping through action, volunteering, and meaning-making. Theme 2, parenthood reawakened during crisis, illustrates the renewed parental responsibility toward adult children, marked by care, protection, and blurred generational boundaries. Theme 3, the complexity of intergenerational roles in times of crisis, highlights balancing parental and grandparental duties, managing anxiety, and adapting roles under emotional strain. Grandparents emerged as active figures whose complex identities strengthened family adaptation during collective trauma, highlighting the need for tailored interventions that recognize their personal, parental, and grandparental roles contributing to coping and meaning-making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Intimate partner violence, which includes physical assault, sexual violation and coercion, economic abuse, as well as psychological aggression within romantic relationships, remains a pressing public health issue, affecting millions of adults in the United States each year. The costs of such experiences are high, contributing to risk of adverse physical and mental health outcomes, decreased economic and educational attainment, as well as risk of early mortality. Evidence suggests that intimate partner violence and its deleterious consequences are experienced more frequently by those holding historically and systemically marginalized social identities, including people of color, sexual and gender minorities, as well as immigrants and refugees. Yet, more research is needed to both understand why these disparities emerge; and from a clinical perspective, how to effectively address violence within historically and systemically marginalized communities. To achieve these aims, we must look outside the boundaries of psychology toward feminist and interdisciplinary frameworks. Such perspectives illuminate how structural and institutional forces interact and shape our individual and interpersonal experiences, including interpersonal violence. Integrating these perspectives into existing ecological frameworks illuminates how structural and institutional forces interact and shape survivors' individual and interpersonal experiences, including intimate partner violence. Our goal is to advance justice-oriented research and practice by both identifying the drivers of violence-related disparities and advocating for community healing and engagement as essential components of trauma-informed care for survivors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Sleep disturbances are common and persistent in trauma-affected refugees and asylum seekers. Yet, research has mostly focused on insomnia, therefore, (trauma-associated) sleep disturbances like nightmares and fear of sleep are underrepresented in the literature. This study aimed to uncover sleep-symptom profiles (regarding insomnia, nightmares, and fear of sleep) and underlying differences regarding psychopathology and refugee-specific factors. Two hundred two trauma-affected treatment-seeking refugees and asylum seekers were assessed at a psychosocial treatment center. Data were analyzed using latent profile analysis. Emerging profiles were compared regarding group differences of depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, quality of life, and relevant postmigration living difficulties (e.g., asylum status, accommodation, occupation) using exploratory group comparisons. The burden of sleep disturbances and psychopathology was high. Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: (a) severe insomnia, nightmares, and high fear of sleep (41%); (b) moderate to severe insomnia and nightmares but low fear of sleep (47%); and (c) low to moderate insomnia without nightmares or fear of sleep (12%). The most affected profile had higher levels of psychopathology, insecure asylum status, and collective accommodation, while the least affected profile included more individuals in youth welfare and private housing. This study identified distinct sleep-disturbance profiles among trauma-affected treatment-seeking refugees from a diverse background. Additional fear of sleep emerged as highly prevalent, posing potential challenges for clinical practice. Furthermore, collective accommodation and insecure asylum status were closely associated with aggravated sleep impairment and psychopathology. Our findings emphasize the need for a detailed assessment to align patients' needs and appropriate treatment approaches. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Research has demonstrated that trauma in its various forms is associated with deleterious physical and psychological health effects. Most people seeking psychological assessment are doing so for diagnosis; yet, factors such as limitations in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, definition of trauma; the mostly etiology-agnostic approach of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition; and lack of awareness of the pervasiveness of non-"Criterion A" traumas confound our ability to adequately consider the effects of trauma during assessment. This leads to the risk of misdiagnosis and mistreatment. After reviewing the scientific evidence related to the pervasiveness of trauma and the need to conceptualize more broadly than the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the authors describe an application of the recent American Psychological Association (2025a) Guidelines for Psychologists in the Assessment of Psychological Trauma in Adults, an approach to antioppressive, comprehensive assessment (grounded in therapeutic assessment). A trauma-informed approach to each step of the assessment process, from precontact (e.g., phone consultation) through feedback and termination, is outlined. Recommendations are provided for taking an antioppressive, trauma-informed approach in both process and content (i.e., tests and measures). Too often, the effects of trauma are not considered, and diagnostic criteria are not fully attended to, resulting in underidentification of trauma. Further yet, modern trends in psychology have shifted toward complicity in neoliberal capitalism, resulting in an emphasis on rushed assessment; short-term, symptom-focused treatment; and medicalization in the service of supporting capitalist production rather than healing. As a result, overdiagnosis of serious disorders that beget medication proliferates. Given the proliferation of trauma, taking an antioppressive, trauma-informed approach grounded in therapeutic assessment is crucial to adequate diagnosis and treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
This study aimed to assess burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress levels, and associated factors among midwives in Türkiye. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 233 midwives actively working in Türkiye between January 2022 and December 2023. Data were collected using the personal information form, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale, and Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, analysis of variance, correlation, and multiple regression analyses. Midwives who worked overtime, experienced traumatic births, reported job dissatisfaction, or considered leaving the profession had significantly higher burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress scores (p < .05). Burnout was positively correlated with compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. Regression analyses indicated that overtime work, professional dissatisfaction, traumatic experiences, and secondary traumatic stress significantly predicted burnout levels. Heavy workloads and repeated exposure to traumatic events negatively affect midwives' psychological well-being. Institutional interventions aimed at reducing workplace stress, improving working conditions, and providing psychological support may help decrease burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress among midwives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Combat soldiers face intense psychological strain and diverse postservice adjustment challenges. Although prior research has largely emphasized risk factors and psychopathology, fewer studies have explored coping resources that foster resilience. This study examined the interplay between unit cohesion and forgiveness dimensions (self, others, and situation) in relation to psychological distress among combat veterans, including both direct associations and moderation effects. A sample of 190 Israeli male combat veterans completed self-report measures of trauma exposure, psychological distress (depression, anxiety, somatization), self-perceived traumatization, unit cohesion, and tendency to forgive. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regressions and moderation models. Higher unit cohesion and higher forgiveness measures were associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, somatization, and self-perceived traumatization. Unit cohesion was consistently associated with lower levels across all distress measures. Forgiveness of situations showed unique associations with lower anxiety and self-perceived traumatization, whereas forgiveness of others moderated the association between unit cohesion and depressive symptoms. Unit cohesion and forgiveness appear to function as complementary resources supporting combat veterans' emotional adjustment. Forgiving uncontrollable combat-related situations aids adaptation, whereas forgiving others reinforces the protective value of social bonds. However, these relations are complicated, emphasizing the need for interventions that strengthen unit trust and promote postservice meaning-making and forgiveness to foster emotional resilience among combat veterans. Addressing distinct dimensions of forgiveness and strengthening trust, mutual support, and unit cohesion may help veterans process moral and interpersonal injuries, reframe traumatic combat experiences, and promote resilience and long-term psychological adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Preventing posttraumatic psychopathology (e.g., depression or posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) following an acute traumatic event requires attention to modifiable factors that may protect against such psychopathology. In this study, we aimed to identify the relative contributions of resiliency factors across multiple domains to posttraumatic psychopathology and to delineate subcomponents that may be most influential. This study leveraged prospective data from 2,043 trauma-exposed individuals recruited from emergency departments in the Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA Study. We first used structural equation modeling to examine higher level regulatory and interpersonal strength domains following acute trauma exposure and their relative associations with symptoms of depression or PTSD at 3 months posttrauma. We then tested which specific factors within these domains were associated with 3-month symptoms. Both regulatory and interpersonal strength domains were linked to fewer symptoms of depression and PTSD 3 months later, though relational strengths were more strongly associated than regulatory strengths when modeled together. Within interpersonal strengths, higher levels of emotional support and supportive networks, but not social engagement, were associated with lower depressive and PTSD symptoms. Within regulatory strengths, trait resilience was associated with lower depressive and PTSD symptoms, and self-efficacy showed mixed associations, whereas mindfulness (measured as nonreactively observing internal experiences) was associated with higher symptoms. Findings suggest enhancing interpersonal resiliency, above and beyond regulatory strengths, may be crucial in the aftermath of acute trauma, with emotional support and supportive networks as especially strong potential buffers against posttraumatic psychopathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Childhood betrayal trauma has been linked to divergent outcomes such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychopathic traits. Although these outcomes are often conceptualized as functional opposites, their co-occurrence suggests common underlying mechanisms. This study examined whether distress tolerance, ambiguity tolerance, and impulse control difficulties explain direct and indirect associations between childhood betrayal trauma, PTSD symptoms, and psychopathic traits. A cross-sectional design was used with a sample of young adults (N = 753). Structural models tested hypothesized direct paths from childhood betrayal trauma to PTSD and psychopathic traits, as well as indirect effects through distress tolerance and ambiguity tolerance. Distress and ambiguity tolerance were further examined as indirect pathways through impulse control difficulties. Ambiguity tolerance was also tested as a moderator of the association between betrayal trauma and psychopathic traits. Childhood betrayal trauma demonstrated significant direct effects on both PTSD symptoms and psychopathic traits. Indirect effects emerged through distress tolerance, as well as through distress tolerance combined with impulse control difficulties. All indirect pathways via ambiguity tolerance were nonsignificant, and ambiguity tolerance did not moderate the association between betrayal trauma and psychopathic traits. Findings underscore the importance of distress tolerance and impulse control difficulties as shared mechanisms linking childhood betrayal trauma to both PTSD and psychopathic traits. These results highlight transdiagnostic processes that may serve as intervention targets for addressing divergent but functionally related trauma outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Racism is a known driver of mental health disparities among Black adults. Racist experiences can produce racial trauma symptoms, particularly if the experiences were sudden and uncontrollable. Insight into the relationship between symptoms of racial trauma and well-being among Black adults is limited. The purpose of the present study is to measure the association between racial trauma and three domains of well-being, an often-omitted dimension of mental health outcomes. Structural equation modeling was used to quantify relationships between racial trauma and subjective, social, psychological, and overall well-being among 417 Black adults. Racial trauma was measured with the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale, which focuses on the anxiety-related traumatic impacts of discrimination. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that racial trauma was linked to lower subjective, psychological, and overall well-being with small effect sizes. Surprisingly, racial trauma was not associated with social well-being. Though heightened racial trauma was associated with more negative experiences, less capacity to realize one's capabilities, and diminished overall well-being, it was not associated with participants' social engagements. Strengthening social well-being may be a critical intervention strategy for racial trauma recovery and healing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).