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Journal of Interpersonal Violence
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The Effect of Childhood Trauma on Later Psychological Adjustment

Caroline Browne

Australian Catholic University, Melbourne

Cecelia Winkelman

Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Cecelia.Winkelman{at}acu.edu.au

This study examined whether adult attachment and cognitive distortion mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological adjustment. The participants were 219 students (40 men and 117 women) enrolled in a university degree. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, which assessed retrospective accounts of childhood trauma; the Relationships Scales Questionnaire, which measured two dimensions of adult attachment (model-of-self and model-of-other); the Cognitive Distortions Scale, which measured internal attributions and perceptions of controllability; and the Trauma Symptom Inventory, which assessed posttraumatic symptoms and was used in this study to measure psychological adjustment. Results supported the hypothesis that model-of-self and cognitive distortion are related constructs. The influence of model-of-self on psychological adjustment however was only via its effect on cognitive processes. In other words, a negative model-of-self influenced cognitive distortion, which in turn influenced the expression of symptoms in adults reporting a history of childhood trauma. The implications for therapy were considered.

Key Words: childhood trauma • adult attachment • cognitive distortion • psychological adjustment

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 22, No. 6, 684-697 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0886260507300207
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