TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-stigma predicts post-traumatic and depressive symptoms in traumatized individuals seeking interventions for dissociative symptoms
T2 - a preliminary investigation
AU - Fung, Hong Wang
AU - Černis, Emma
AU - Shum, Michelle Hei Yan
N1 - The first author (Hong Wang Fung) received the RGC Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme 2022/23 offered by the Research Grants Council, Hong Kong.
The work of the first author was supported by Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee: [Grant Number RGC postdoctoral fellowship 2022/2023].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Background: Previous studies showed that self-stigma is associated with poor clinical outcomes in people with serious mental illness, and is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, less is known about self-stigma in people with dissociative symptoms, which are often related to psychological trauma. This study examined whether baseline self-stigma would be associated with dissociative, PTSD and depressive symptoms at post-intervention, after controlling for treatment usage and baseline symptom severity, in a sample of traumatized Chinese adults undertaking a psychoeducation intervention for dissociative symptoms. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a 60-day web-based psychoeducation programme. A total of 58 participants who provided data before and after the intervention were included for analysis. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Results: In this highly traumatized, dissociative, and symptomatic help-seeking sample, baseline self-stigma was associated with PTSD (β =.203, p =.032) and depressive (β =.264, p =.025) symptoms at post-intervention, even after controlling for baseline symptom severity, age, location, number of sessions attended in the web-based psychoeducation programme, and use of psychological treatments for PTSD/dissociative symptoms. However, self-stigma was not associated with dissociative symptoms (p =.108). Conclusions: This is the first study showing that self-stigma is a significant predictor of comorbid symptoms (i.e. PTSD and depressive symptoms) in people seeking interventions for dissociative symptoms. The findings that post-traumatic and dissociative symptoms have different relationships to self-stigma also highlight the possibility dissociation might be an independent psychological construct closely associated with trauma, but not merely a PTSD symptom, although further studies are necessary. The preliminary findings call for more efforts to understand, prevent, and address self-stigma in people with trauma-related mental health issues such as dissociative symptoms.
AB - Background: Previous studies showed that self-stigma is associated with poor clinical outcomes in people with serious mental illness, and is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, less is known about self-stigma in people with dissociative symptoms, which are often related to psychological trauma. This study examined whether baseline self-stigma would be associated with dissociative, PTSD and depressive symptoms at post-intervention, after controlling for treatment usage and baseline symptom severity, in a sample of traumatized Chinese adults undertaking a psychoeducation intervention for dissociative symptoms. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a 60-day web-based psychoeducation programme. A total of 58 participants who provided data before and after the intervention were included for analysis. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Results: In this highly traumatized, dissociative, and symptomatic help-seeking sample, baseline self-stigma was associated with PTSD (β =.203, p =.032) and depressive (β =.264, p =.025) symptoms at post-intervention, even after controlling for baseline symptom severity, age, location, number of sessions attended in the web-based psychoeducation programme, and use of psychological treatments for PTSD/dissociative symptoms. However, self-stigma was not associated with dissociative symptoms (p =.108). Conclusions: This is the first study showing that self-stigma is a significant predictor of comorbid symptoms (i.e. PTSD and depressive symptoms) in people seeking interventions for dissociative symptoms. The findings that post-traumatic and dissociative symptoms have different relationships to self-stigma also highlight the possibility dissociation might be an independent psychological construct closely associated with trauma, but not merely a PTSD symptom, although further studies are necessary. The preliminary findings call for more efforts to understand, prevent, and address self-stigma in people with trauma-related mental health issues such as dissociative symptoms.
KW - dissociation
KW - dissociative disorder
KW - PTSD
KW - Self-stigma
KW - trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85170089978&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/20008066.2023.2251778
DO - 10.1080/20008066.2023.2251778
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37682581
AN - SCOPUS:85170089978
SN - 2000-8066
VL - 14
JO - European Journal of Psychotraumatology
JF - European Journal of Psychotraumatology
IS - 2
M1 - 2251778
ER -