Mental health service utilization following a campus mass shooting: The role of preshooting emotion dysregulation and posttraumatic cognitions.
Year: 2021
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study investigated preshooting emotion dysregulation and posttraumatic cognitions as predictors of mental health service utilization ([MHU]; i.e., therapy/medication) among undergraduate women following a campus mass shooting, controlling for time, age, and postshooting posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depressive symptoms. METHOD: = 397). RESULTS: Multilevel models showed preshooting emotion dysregulation and postshooting PTS and depressive symptoms positively predicted increased likelihood of MHU while controlling for covariates. Posttraumatic cognitions initially predicted increased therapy utilization, but this relationship became nonsignificant after accounting for preshooting emotion dysregulation. Preshooting emotion dysregulation also weakened the positive relationship between depressive symptoms and therapy utilization and strengthened the positive relationship between age and therapy utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Preshooting emotion dysregulation and postshooting mental health symptoms were the most robust predictors of increased MHU following a mass shooting. Findings suggest women exposed to a mass shooting engage in treatment when needed, but preexisting emotion dysregulation may serve as a barrier for those who go on to develop depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
DOI: 10.1037/tra0001036
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W3173302003