Advancing the Measurement of Trauma-Related Shame Among Women With Histories of Interpersonal Trauma

• Published in: Violence against women Vol. 30; no. 10; pp. 2697 - 2720
• Main Authors: Jones, Alyssa C., Badour, Christal L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.08.2024; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Guilt; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Measurement; Middle Aged; Post traumatic stress disorder; Psychological trauma; Psychometrics - instrumentation; Psychometrics - methods; Quantitative psychology; Shame; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survivors - psychology; Symptoms; Trauma; Women; PTSD; interpersonal trauma; shame; guilt; assessment
• ISSN: 1077-8012; 1552-8448; 1552-8448
• DOI: 10.1177/10778012231163575

Shame is a predominant emotion for many interpersonal trauma (IPT) survivors and is associated with more severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Measurement challenges have led to difficulties in understanding the impact of trauma-related shame. The Trauma-Related Shame Inventory (TRSI) was developed to address this limitation, yet additional psychometric support is needed. The present study evaluated and provided psychometric support for the TRSI among women with IPT histories, although recommendations for improvement are discussed. The impact of trauma-related shame, relative to trait shame and trauma-related guilt, on PTSD symptoms was also studied, with results suggesting that trauma-related shame had the strongest association.