Rejection Sensitivity as a Moderator of Sexual Victimization and Traumatic Stress
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Grant: Research Recruits Program (RRP)
Bhakti Perez
CoPIs:
Morgan Fishman
College:
The College of Health Professions and Human Services
Major:
Counseling
Faculty Research Advisor(s):
Aditi Vijay
Abstract:
Women encounter higher rates of sexual violence, with one in every two women having endured sexual violence including physical contact at some point in their lives (CDC, 2022). Sexual trauma correlates with more pronounced symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, dissociation, and enduring maladaptive beliefs about pain throughout the six months following the acute traumatic event. (Rowland et al., 2023). The precise nature of this connection is not fully understood. Various variables, such as emotion regulation, general psychological distress, mindfulness, self-compassion, rejection sensitivity, and interpersonal stress, have been suggested as potential moderators influencing the relationship between sexual victimization and symptoms of traumatic stress. These factors are also considered risk factors contributing to a reduced perception of risk. Hence, this study pursued two objectives: Aim 1) to investigate moderators influencing the connection between sexual victimization and symptoms indicative of traumatic stress and Aim 2) to Explore the role of emotion regulation concerning risk perception within a sample of individuals who have experienced sexual victimization. This paper reports 1) findings from a screening sample (N=435) exploring links between emotion regulation, traumatic stress symptoms, psychological distress, mindfulness, self-compassion, and rejection sensitivity and 2) results from an experimental study on the impact of interpersonal responses in women with sexual trauma histories (N=68). Participants completed self-report measures, and in the experimental phase, they received validating or invalidating responses while completing a stressful task. Aim 1) Analyses revealed rejection sensitivity as a significant predictor of psychological distress. Aim 2) Negative affect significantly predicted response times when identifying threats in sexually risky situations. The findings highlight rejection sensitivity's role in influencing negative affect in interpersonally stressful contexts, offering clinicians insight to target rejection sensitivity for addressing negative affect and social distress causes. Managing rejection sensitivity and interpersonal stress is crucial in trauma victims to reduce revictimization risk.