Objective: The present study investigated the associations between self-compassion, self-blame, disengagement coping, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptom severity among females who had experienced sexual assault. We also examined whether the relationships between self-compassion and both PTSD and depression severity were mediated by self-blame and coping. Method: A volunteer sample of female adults (N = 207)completed surveys online or on paper.Results: Mediational analyses showed that higher selfcompassion was associated with lower behavioral selfblame, characterological self-blame (CSB), and disengagement coping which, in turn, were associated with less PTSD.Higher self-compassion was associated with less depression severity directly and indirectly via CSB.Conclusions: These findings suggest that self-compassion may be relevant for understanding postassault mental health, partially through its associations with self-blame and coping. Clinicians working with sexual assault survivors may choose to augment treatment-as-usual with interventions designed to increase self-compassion. K E Y W O R D S disengagement coping, PTSD, self-blame, self-compassion, sexual assault J. Clin. Psychol. 2019;75:766-779. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jclp 766 |

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Previous research has shown that some individuals report positive personal changes after experiencing highly negative events, often referred to as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Cognitive emotion regulation (CER) is the ability to use cognitions to manage emotions and is one factor that may impact PTG. To date, limited research has explored relationships between emotional intelligence (EI), or the ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions, and PTG. The purpose of this study was to explore EI as a potential mediator of the relationship between adaptive CER strategies and PTG. Participants (N = 230) completed a series of self-report measures, including measures of trauma history, CER, EI, and PTG. Adaptive CER strategies and EI were positively correlated with PTG. In mediation analyses, adaptive CER strategies of positive refocusing and refocusing on planning were significantly associated with higher EI, which in turn was related to higher PTG. These results suggest that EI is one mechanism through which certain CER processes, such as positive refocusing and refocusing on planning, may facilitate adaptive functioning in the aftermath of trauma.

Objective: The present study examined whether post-assault internal processes (i.e., present control, event centrality, and compassionate and uncompassionate self-responding) were associated with distress and resilience among women who have experienced adult sexual assault. The authors also tested whether compassionate and uncompassionate self-responses would moderate the relationships between event centrality and outcomes. Method: A convenience sample of women who had experienced sexual assault during adulthood (N = 253) completed an anonymous online survey. Results: Regression analyses showed that lower present control, higher event centrality, and higher uncompassionate responses to the self were associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. Additionally, higher present control and higher compassionate responses to the self were associated with resilience. Moderation analyses were not significant. Conclusions: Endorsing greater levels of uncompassionate responses was associated with greater distress while engaging in greater compassionate responses was associated with greater resilience, even when accounting for levels of present control and event centrality.

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