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. 2011 Aug;24(4):483-6.
doi: 10.1002/jts.20656. Epub 2011 Jul 25.

Trauma centrality and PTSD symptom severity in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse

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Trauma centrality and PTSD symptom severity in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse

Donald J Robinaugh et al. J Trauma Stress. 2011 Aug.

Abstract

Theorists have posited that regarding a trauma as central to one's identity leads to greater posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. To test this hypothesis, we administered the Centrality of Events Scale (CES) to women reporting a history of childhood sexual abuse (N = 102). The CES scores were correlated with PTSD symptom severity, depression severity, and self-esteem. In addition, we conducted a principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate factors underlying the CES. The PCA yielded 3 factors reflecting (a) the centrality and integration of the trauma, (b) whether the event is regarded as a turning point in one's life story, and (c) whether the event is a reference point for expectations about the future. Each factor was associated with PTSD symptom severity.

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