Trauma-Related Disclosure in Sexual Assault Survivors’ Intimate Relationships: Associations With PTSD,Shame,and Partners’ Responses

Abstract

Relative to survivors of other traumatic events, survivors of sexual assault have an increased likelihood of meeting criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They are also comparatively more likely to exhibit higher levels of PTSD symptom severity. Recent research has highlighted the importance of trauma-related disclosure within the context of intimate relationships for posttrauma functioning and recovery, but this phenomenon has yet to be examined specifically in sexual assault survivor samples. Accordingly, this study examines the association of PTSD symptom severity with disclosure about one’s experience of sexual assault to one’s intimate partner, as well as the association of such disclosure with trauma-related shame and perception of partners’ negative and positive responses to trauma-related disclosure. A sample of 104 female participants who had disclosed their experience of sexual assault to their current romantic partner provided survey data. On average, these participants reported a moderate amount of trauma-related disclosure. Counter to hypotheses, level of engagement in trauma-related disclosure was not significantly correlated with PTSD symptom severity, shame, or perceived negative responses to disclosure. Only perceived positive responses to disclosure demonstrated a significant, bivariate association with overall level of engagement in trauma-related disclosure. Similarly, when trauma-related shame, negative responses, and positive responses were accounted for simultaneously, only positive responses were related to level of disclosure. Overall, results suggest that intimate relationships may serve as a unique context for disclosure about one’s history of sexual assault, with perceived positive responses demonstrating particularly strong associations with level of engagement in trauma-related disclosure.