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Sexual Victimization History and Emotion Regulation in Daily Life: A Role for Stress Sensitization
Zoe Bridges-Curry1, Jessica R Ellem2, Tamara L Newton1
1University of Louisville, KY, USA.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|October 21, 2024
Summary
History of sexual violence (SV) uniquely increases sensitivity to daily stressors, leading to emotion dysregulation. This stress sensitization may explain severe mental health outcomes following SV.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neurobiology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Sexual violence (SV) is linked to severe mental health issues.
- The reasons for SV's disproportionate impact are unclear.
- Stress sensitization is a potential explanation for heightened vulnerability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate stress sensitization in individuals with a history of SV.
- To examine the impact of SV on emotion regulation in daily life.
- To understand the link between SV, daily stressors, and mental health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) via smartphone surveys.
- Data collected four times daily over two weeks from 122 undergraduates.
- Assessed SV exposure, daily stressors, and emotion regulation strategies.
Main Results:
- Individuals with SV history showed increased emotion dysregulation and maladaptive emotion regulation in response to daily stressors.
- No significant differences were found in state adaptive emotion regulation between groups.
- Daily stressors were associated with increased adaptive emotion regulation for all participants.
Conclusions:
- SV is uniquely associated with heightened sensitivity to daily stressors, manifesting as emotion dysregulation.
- Findings support the role of stress sensitization in linking SV to mental health problems.
- Emotion regulation skills are crucial for interventions targeting SV survivors.
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