Interpersonal Violence and Depression: Posttraumatic Cognitions as Mediators

Depression is a known risk after trauma exposure, but the nature of the trauma plays a role in the risk. Traumas that involve interpersonal aggression tend to be associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Identifying factors that influence the relationship between event type and depression may aid in the identification of modifiable risk factors to improve mental health outcomes in survivors of interpersonal aggression. This study proposes that the link between traumas involving interpersonal violence and greater depression symptoms may be partially explained by greater maladaptive cognitions after experiences of interpersonal aggression compared to other types of trauma. Traumas involving interpersonal violence may contribute to more negative posttraumatic beliefs compared to traumas that do not involve interpersonal violence, thereby contributing to higher distress. The current study examined the relationships among trauma type, posttraumatic cognitions, and depression symptoms in a sample of 408 patients seeking mental health treatment after trauma exposure. Consistent with hypotheses, patients seeking treatment after a trauma involving interpersonal aggression had higher depression scores than patients seeking treatment after traumas that did not include interpersonal aggression. Further, posttraumatic cognitions partially mediated the relationship between event type and depression symptoms. These results suggest that identifying maladaptive thinking patterns may be especially important after experiences of interpersonal violence in the prevention and treatment of depression.