COVID 19 related fear and stress among individuals who experienced child abuse: The mediating effect of complex posttraumatic stress disorder
Abstract Background The COVID 19 pandemic exposes individuals not only to health related risks, but also to psychosocial fear and acute stress. Previous studies reveal that individuals who experienced child abuse (CA) especially those who suffer from complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) are at a higher risk of reacting with fear and stress when faced with stressful life events. Objective To test whether exposure to CA is implicated in a higher risk of COVID 19 related fear and acute stress, and whether CPTSD intervenes in such processes. Participants and settings A convenience sample of 837 adults participated in the study during the first peak of COVID 19 in Israel. Methods Participants completed self report questionnaires, assessing child physical, sexual and emotional abuse, CPTSD (ITQ) COVID 19 related acute stress disorder (COVID 19 ASD; ASDS) and fear of COVID 19. Results Bivariate analyses showed that participants who experienced CA were higher than participants who did not experience CA in COVID 19 ASD (p .032) but not in fear of COVID 19 (p .65) Mediation analyses demonstrated two significant paths: in the first, CA was associated with elevated fear of COVID 19 (effect .061, .059; p 0.05) and COVID 19 ASD (effect .14, .084; p 0.05) through the mediation of CPTSD; in the second path, when controlling for the mediation of CPTSD, CA was associated with reduced fear of COVID 19 (effect .15; p 0.001) and COVID 19 ASD (effect .12; p 0.024) Conclusions The findings reveal a complex pattern, indicating that CPTSD may be a risk factor for elevated levels of COVID 19 distress among individuals who experienced CA. However, some CA survivors may express reduced COVID 19 distress.
Child Abuse Neglect