Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, intimate partner violence perpetration, and the mediating role of shame processing bias

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may produce internal “threats to the self,” which generate shame. Shame is theoretically and empirically linked to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. We examined relations among PTSD, cognitive processing of shame-relevant information, and IPV perpetration. Forty-seven community participants completed an emotional Stroop task with shame-relevant and neutral words. Stimuli were presented supraliminally (i.e., until vocal response) and subliminally (i.e., below an individualized threshold of conscious awareness). Facilitated color-naming of shame-relevant words (thought to reflect congruence between shame and self-schemas) mediated the relation between PTSD severity and IPV perpetration frequency. Mediation results for subliminal stimuli suggest that biased processing of shame cues may occur preconsciously and potentially catalyze processes (i.e., expectations of rejection in ambiguous situations with one's partner; avoidance that minimizes discomfort and protects self-image) that lead to IPV perpetration. Psychotherapeutic approaches to PTSD and IPV should consider the role of facilitated processing of shame cues.

► First to examine cognitive processing of shame cues in the context of PTSD and IPV. ► Extends findings of a link between PTSD and IPV to a mixed-gender community sample. ► Link mediated by facilitated processing of shame cues in an emotional Stroop task. ► Mediation effect was especially robust for subliminal processing of shame cues. ► Results support the integration of theory and findings across diverse literatures.