Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Attitudes about Scoial Support: Does Shame matter?

Feelings of shame have been related to both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and turning away from social support. Based on this past reseach, the current study evaluated shame as a possible intermediary process in the relationship between PTSD symptoms and negative attitudes toward using social support in 202 female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). A history of childhood abuse (CA) was also evaluated as a moderator of the relationship between shame and negative attitudes about social support. Path analyses supported a significant indirect relationship between PTSD and negative attitudes about social support through shame. Additionally, CA moderated this effect, such that women with a history of CA in addition to IPV showed a stronger relationship between PTSD and negative attitudes toward social support through shame. The findings support the relevance of shame following IPV and CA, and the role of shame in strengthening negative beliefs about using social support