The effect of posttraumatic cognitions on PTSD in nonoffending parents of child sexual abuse: The aggravating role of negative self-compassion and emotive regulation.
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: Nonoffending parents (NOPs) of children who have experienced sexual abuse often endure vicarious trauma and self-blame for not being able to protect their child, which can contribute to the development or worsening of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.This study examines the influence of posttraumatic cognitions on PTSD in NOPs of sexually abused children, aiming to elucidate the role of internalized posttraumatic cognitions through a novel model.In other populations, moral injury has been established as a factor exacerbating PTSD development and persistence, yet the impact of moral injury-related cognitions is uncharted, so exploring the impact of negative posttraumatic cognitions as a result of morally injurious experiences in an NOP population may provide clinical utility as a potential therapeutic target and support the long-term recovery of their child.Method: Employing path analysis on 151 NOPs, who completed an online questionnaire, the present study tested the hypothesis that negative posttraumatic cognitions, particularly selfblame, foster PTSD through impaired emotion regulation and diminished self-compassion.Results: The analysis confirmed a significant indirect impact of negative cognitions on PTSD via the mediators, explaining 41% of the variance in PTSD symptoms among NOPs, and a good fit for the intrapersonal maladaptive posttraumatic cognitions of PTSD.As 49% (n = 75) of the NOPs reported experiencing their own personal history of abuse, the role of personal childhood sexual abuse was explored with the model finding no significant difference between familial versus nonfamilial abuse of the child or personal childhood sexual abuse on the NOP regarding PTSD.However, multiple disclosures of childhood sexual abuse by their child significantly increased PTSD levels.This underscores the potential pivotal role of negative self-directed cognitions and emotional dysregulation in aggravating PTSD symptoms.Conclusions: Confirming the theoretical importance of posttraumatic cognitions in understanding NOPs' PTSD, the findings highlight the detrimental effects of maladaptive intrapersonal cognitions.Addressing these through enhanced self-compassion and emotion regulation could markedly benefit therapeutic outcomes for NOPs and their children.This represents a pioneering approach to PTSD interventions, focusing on the critical aspect of moral injury mitigation. Clinical Impact StatementNonoffending parents (NOPs) of sexually abused children often suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to vicarious trauma and self-blame.This study explores the influence of posttraumatic cognitions on NOPs' PTSD.Results show that negative thoughts, like self-blame, worsen PTSD through poor emotion regulation and reduced self-compassion and through the multiple disclosures of abuse their child has experienced.This highlights the need to address these harmful beliefs and that further examination of posttraumatic cognitions experienced as a result of the morally injurious event of NOPs' child experiencing sexual abuse is required to improve therapeutic outcomes for NOPs and their children.By focusing on enhancing self-compassion and emotion regulation, interventions can better support NOPs' recovery, marking a significant step in PTSD treatment.
DOI: 10.1037/tra0002155
Institution: Bond University
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: Bond University
OpenAlex ID: W7138282349
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