Gaining Control Over Traumatic Experiences: The Role of Guilt in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe present study explores the relationship between guilt, sense of control, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Seventy-eight participants who had experienced a traumatic event completed the following self-report measures online: the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, the Guilt Cognitions subscale of the Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory, the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory, and Sense of Control During the Trauma. Results revealed that “behavioral self-blame” that refers to functioning during the trauma, positively correlated with posttraumatic stress symptoms. However, when Sense of Control During the Trauma was introduced into the analysis, this correlation appeared only for participants who had experienced lack of control during the traumatic event. Among the participants who had experienced a sense of control, no such link was found. Results suggest that guilt may be produced to avoid feelings of helplessness following the trauma, because guilt conveys a sense of control.