Modeling posttraumatic stress disorder among victimized women on probation and parole : examining the impact of childhood victimization.

Abstract

DEDICATIONThis dissertation is dedicated to:1. My husband, Kyle, who encouraged and supported me throughout this process as we both pushed ourselves past what we thought was possible on our quest to build our life together. My parents, Charles and Karen Efstration, who made numerous sacrifices so Icould have the best educational opportunities and taught me to care deeply about underdogs. I am also deeply thankful for my in-laws, the Winhams and the Whites, for the love and support. Results of the second MIMIC analysis (X 2 (147) =439.71, p < .001; CFI = .90; TLI = .89; RMSEA = .07; SRMR = .07) provided good fit to the data and indicated that exposure to childhood sexual victimization versus other types of victimization significantly predicted differences in PTSD symptom structure and greater severity (B= .29, β = .10, SE= .14, p =.04). However, childhood victimization accounted for only 1% of the variance in PTSD symptomology. Implications for assessment and treatment of this highly-victimized and traumatized population are discussed including the usefulness of addressing the symptoms of dysphoric arousal including sleep disturbance, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Suggestions for public policy include increasing economic insecurity and revisiting current legal climate linking substance use with criminal justice involvement.