Posttraumatic stress disorder, emotional suppression and psychiatric co-morbidity in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria: a moderated mediation analysis. (3rd September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chung, Man Cheung; Symons, Christine; Gilliam, Jane; Kaminski, Edward R.
• Is Part Of: Journal of mental health. Volume 27:Number 5(2018)
• Page Start: 442
• Page End: 449
• Publication Date: 2018-09-03
• Subjects: posttraumatic stress -- emotional suppression -- chronic idiopathic urticaria; Mental health -- Periodicals; Mental health services -- Periodicals; 362.2
• DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2018.1437601
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-8237

Abstract

Abstract: Background : There is evidence suggesting that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and CIU severity are linked and partially mediated by the high-anxious defense mechanism. What is unclear is whether emotional suppression, as a defense serving the opposite purpose for high-anxious defense, can also act as a mediator and whether this mediational effect is partly influenced by time since trauma and trauma type. Aims : To investigate whether emotional suppression mediated the links between PTSD and CIU symptom severities, and PTSD and psychiatric co-morbid symptom severities. It then examined whether the mediating effect would be moderated by how long ago the trauma occurred and trauma type. Methods : One hundred CIU patients were compared with 60 allergy patients. They completed questionnaires measuring PTSD, psychiatric co-morbidity and emotional suppression. Results : Suppressing depression mediated the relationship between PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity. How long ago the trauma occurred and trauma type moderated the mediational effect of suppressing depression. Conclusions : Following a past trauma, CIU patients may develop PTSD symptoms which influence their psychological well-being through using different levels of emotional suppression, especially suppressing depression. The levels depend on the severity of PTSD symptoms, trauma history and whether they experienced interpersonal traumas.