The Impact of Past Trauma on Psychological Distress: The Roles of Defense Mechanisms and Alexithymia

Siqi Fang; Man Cheung Chung; Yabing Wang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00992

The Impact of Past Trauma on Psychological Distress: The Roles of Defense Mechanisms and Alexithymia

Front Psychol. 2020 May 21:11:992. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00992. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Siqi Fang¹, Man Cheung Chung², Yabing Wang²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
² Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.

Abstract

Objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following past trauma could lead to psychological distress. Little is known, however, about the roles of defense mechanisms and alexithymia may play in the process. The current study aimed to examine the potential impact of alexithymia and defense mechanisms on the relationship between past trauma and distress among Chinese university students.

Method: 455 university students completed a set of questionnaires: PTSD Checklists for DSM-5, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Defense Style Questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire-28.

Results: PTSD following past trauma was associated with increased psychological distress. Alexithymia and defenses (especially immature defense) mediated the path between PTSD and psychological co-morbidities.

Conclusion: Following past trauma, people developed PTSD and other psychological symptoms. The severity of these distress symptoms was influenced by the way they defended themselves psychologically, and their ability to identify, express, and process distressing emotions.

Keywords: alexithymia; defense mechanisms; past trauma; posttraumatic stress disorder; psychological distress.