The Link between Childhood Maltreatment Severity and Dissociation Severity: Examining the Role of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation as a Mediator

Hollmann, Darleen (2024) The Link between Childhood Maltreatment Severity and Dissociation Severity: Examining the Role of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation as a Mediator. Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

According to Kate et al. (2020) students report to regularly experience dissociative symptoms 16.6% of the time, as measured by the Dissociative Experience Scale. Childhood maltreatment is associated with dissociative symptoms, and with developing disorders where dissociation plays a key role, e.g., dissociative disorders or borderline personality disorders (Vonderlin et al., 2018; Cavicchioli et al., 2023). This study investigates the mediating effect of emotion regulation difficulties between childhood maltreatment and dissociation severity elicited in an interpersonal situation in young adults. The current sample consists of n = 251 psychology students (Age; M = 19.98, SD = 2.073). Participants filled out the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form in a lab setting. Subsequently, participants were instructed to participate, in pairs, in a ten-minute eye- to-eye gazing session to induce dissociation, which was afterwards measured by the Responses to Script-Driven Imagery Scale. Results showed that there is an indirect effect, where emotion regulation difficulties partially mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and dissociation (b = .0281, 95% CI [0.0052, 0.0561]). The effect of childhood maltreatment on emotion regulation difficulties is significant (b = .3096, p < .001), as is the effect of emotion regulation difficulties on dissociation (b = .0909, p = .017). Nonetheless, the direct effect of childhood maltreatment on dissociation is still significant (b = .0871, p = .012). Childhood maltreatment influences dissociation directly, and indirectly by affecting emotion regulation. This suggests that emotion regulation could be a potential point of intervention to reduce dissociation severity.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Daniels, J.K. and Lommen, M.J.J.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology (FP) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	06 Dec 2024 10:39
Last Modified:	06 Dec 2024 10:39
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4457

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