Dissociation fully mediates the relationship between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and DSM-5 PTSD in a sample of treatment-seeking adults

Introduction: Child-abuse and neglect are associated with increased risk of adult PTSD and dissociation. Recent research suggests that dissociation mediates the relationship between child maltreatment and PTSD, however, there is a lack of clarity regarding the mediating role of dissociation for different types of child abuse.Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate dissociation as a mediator between 5 typologies of child-maltreatment and post-traumatic stress severity.Method: In a sample of highly symptomatic, treatment-seeking females (N=99), structural equation modelling was used to test 3 different models of mediation: direct effect, indirect effect, and direct and indirect effect.Results: The 5 typologies of child maltreatment were significantly related to dissociation and post-traumatic stress. Dissociation mediated the effect of childhood sexual abuse and childhood emotional abuse on post-traumatic stress severity. The indirect effect model fit the data best.Conclusion: Dissociation fully mediated the relationship between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and post-traumatic stress severity. The results are limited by the use of retrospective self-report measures and a small sample size