Objectives: This study examines broad-based psychopathology in a community sample of female survivors of interpersonal trauma. The extent to which facets of emotion regulation predict symptom presentation among this population is examined.
Method: Hierarchical cluster analysis examining symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, somatization, and alcohol abuse was used to identify symptom clusters in an ethnically diverse sample (N = 205).
Results: Approximately 17% of the sample fell into a severe symptom group characterized by clinical levels of distress across all four disorders. The largest group (46%) was marked by subclinical distress across all four disorders, while the final group (37%) reported subclinical distress, but with a relative absence of alcohol abuse. Of the 6 emotion regulation subscales from the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), 2 consistently predicted group membership: nonacceptance and impulsivity.
Conclusions: Cluster analyses revealed symptom clusters that may vary in their appropriateness for current posttrauma interventions. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.
Keywords: emotion regulation; interpersonal trauma; psychopathology.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.