Background: Childhood trauma is still prevalent globally as well as in the Netherlands. Approximately 3% of children in the Netherlands had experienced a form of abuse in 2017. Childhood trauma is...Show moreBackground: Childhood trauma is still prevalent globally as well as in the Netherlands. Approximately 3% of children in the Netherlands had experienced a form of abuse in 2017. Childhood trauma is associated with mental illnesses, among which chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Simultaneously, previous research has shown associations between low distress tolerance and PTSD symptoms, and low distress tolerance and childhood trauma. Aim: The aim of the current study is to investigate the mediating role of distress tolerance on the relationship between childhood trauma and PTSD symptoms. Method: To conduct our mediation analysis, we collected data through an online questionnaire from 169 adults who had experienced a traumatic or stressful experience or event in their lifetime. Exclusion criteria were that they were diagnosed with a mental disorder and/or they were currently receiving any treatment. We conducted the mediation analysis in PROCESS by Hayes (2013). Results: Our results showed a partial mediation of distress tolerance on the relationship between childhood trauma and PTSD symptoms. We also found that childhood trauma is negatively associated with distress tolerance and that distress tolerance is negatively associated with PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: We conclude that distress tolerance explains part of the relationship between childhood trauma and PTSD symptoms. We suggest future research to look more into this relationship as the new knowledge adds to the literature about the onset of PTSD symptoms and could have implications for the prevention and intervention of PTSD symptoms.Show less
