Differential Effects of Anxiety Sensitivity and Attitudes Toward Violence on Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Between Interpersonal Trauma Types

Abstract

Evidence has consistently shown that trauma type plays a significant role in differential outcomes of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity. Anxiety sensitivity and attitudes toward violence have emerged as significant risk factors for the onset and maintenance of PTSD in survivors of interpersonal violence, but their roles within the diathesis–stress model have yet to be fully explored. Mixed evidence regarding their influences between trauma types suggests that these risk factors may uniquely moderate certain trauma types and calls for further research assessing their impact on PTSD outcomes. Trauma-exposed individuals (n = 583) were recruited to complete a survey including measures of trauma exposure, PTSD, and risk factors (anxiety sensitivity and attitudes toward violence). Linear regression analyses were run to determine the effects of trauma type and risk factors on PTSD severity. Moderation analyses examined potential interactions between trauma type and risk factors on PTSD severity. Survivors of sexual assault showed greater PTSD symptoms relative to those experiencing physical assault. Moreover, sexual assault showed significant interactions with positive attitudes toward violence to influence PTSD severity, demonstrating how maladaptive cognitions toward violence can hinder emotional processing. Meanwhile, physical assault showed significant interactions with anxiety sensitivity, reflecting how survivors of physical assault may be uniquely at-risk for heightened sensitivity to arousal-based sensations. Anxiety sensitivity and attitudes toward violence appear to differentially impact the development of PTSD depending on the trauma type. These results emphasize the distinct psychological profiles that may emerge following trauma exposure and demonstrate target areas for future intervention and clinical work.