| Childhood sexual abuse adversely affects mental health, however mechanisms that generate and maintain posttraumatic distress in adulthood are less well understood. Grounded in object relations, attachment, and interpersonal theories, this study examined posttraumatic sequelae in a group of 53 adult female abuse survivors. Childhood factors (age at onset, emotional and physical abuse, neglect) were correlated with posttraumatic distress measures (TSC-40, Demare & Briere, 1993; Gottschalk-Gleser Content Analysis System, 1969) and relational aspects of personality development, or relational schemas (Relationship Questionnaire, Griffin & Bartholomew, 1994; IIP, Horowitz, et al., 1988). Correlations between relational and symptom measures were also examined. The mediational role of relational schemas between childhood factors and posttraumatic distress was investigated.;An interview designed to activate childhood schemas that inform memories and behavior was part of a large assessment battery. The extent to which the past is interpreted in terms of current relational schemas, was measured by associated affectivity. Content analysis (Gottschalk, 1969) of interview transcripts confirmed extreme states of anxiety and hostility associated with trauma memories in the present sample. The findings supported existing theories that current information processing and associated affectivity are distorted by attitudes and beliefs, often unconscious, formed in the context of early traumatic events (Cole, P., & Putnam, F. W., 1992; van der Kolk, B., 1996). Strong associations between the Gottschalk and the relational measures supported the hypothesis that relational schemas impact the way childhood experiences are appraised and remembered. Trends in the data provided support for the developmental etiology, reflected in increased maladaptive relational schemas, of long-term posttraumatic distress.;The study supported existing theory and empirical evidence that childhood trauma underlies maladaptive relational schemas, diminished tolerance for strong affective arousal, and persistent posttraumatic symptoms (Bowlby, 1969, 1982; Bretherton, 1992). However, the findings must be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size and restricted range of participants. Evidence for the role of specific maladaptive relational schemas in adult posttraumatic distress argues for the therapeutic value of interventions grounded in psychodynamic/object relations theory with this population. |
