Negative Social Events among Patients in a Partial Hospital Program

Abstract

Traumatic experiences have mostly been researched in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD). The appraisal of traumatic events is thought to be a key process in determining whether PTSD develops. However, trauma may be too narrowly defined and may include other types, such as social trauma. There is evidence that at least some individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) meet criteria for PTSD in response to a negative social event (Erwin et al. 2006). In this study, we explored whether similar appraisal processes may contribute to the development of PTSD and SAD. We assessed the frequency of socially negative events and how these events were appraised, and whether certain appraisals predict SAD diagnosis. We used the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI), a self-report questionnaire which assesses thought and beliefs related to trauma. The subscales on the PTCI (Negative Cognitions about the Self, Negative Cognitions about the World and Self-Blame) have been found to discriminate well between individuals who have experienced trauma and either go on to develop PTSD or not (Foa, Ehlers, Clark, Tolin, and Orsillo, 1999). Twenty-one partial hospital patients (M age = 38.2, SD = 13.4, 52.4% were female) with a variety of psychological disorders participated in the study. All participants reported negative social events in childhood or adolescence in which they experienced being humiliated, ridiculed, or rejected by other people. The best model to predict diagnosis of SAD included only two of the three subscales of the PTCI; more Negative Cognitions About the Self and less Self-blame increased the likelihood (although not statistically significant) of being diagnosed with SAD. The results indicate that certain appraisals of negative social events may contribute to the development of SAD It is important to replicate this study with a larger sample to increase statistical power. Also, PTSD symptoms should be measured in response to socially negative events in future studies in order to assess how many individuals have PTSD in reaction to negative social events.