Childhood trauma and dissociative symptoms among young adults: A longitudinal study of the role of self-stigma

Dissociative symptoms, which are psychiatric phenomena recognized in both ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR, refer to failures in the process of integrating one's biopsychosocial experiences. While research shows that childhood trauma is associated with dissociative symptoms, little is known about whether childhood trauma could predict increases in dissociative symptoms even within a short period of time. Additionally, it remains unclear what moderators may influence this relationship. This study examined the effects of childhood trauma on subsequent dissociative symptoms and explored the potential moderating effects of mental health-related self-stigma. We analyzed longitudinal survey data from an international sample of young adults (N = 146). Participants completed validated standardized measures of childhood trauma, self-stigma, and dissociative symptoms at baseline, and they reported their dissociative symptoms again after approximately three months. Over 75 % of participants with pathological dissociation at baseline continued to exhibit pathological dissociation at follow-up. Baseline childhood trauma was associated with increases in dissociative symptoms even within a short period of time. Self-stigma significantly moderated the relationship between baseline childhood trauma and subsequent dissociative symptoms, after controlling for baseline dissociative symptoms. This study confirmed that childhood trauma is associated with increases in dissociative symptoms even within three months. We also found that self-stigma may exacerbate the effects of childhood trauma on subsequent dissociative symptoms. The results provide insights into the prevention and management of dissociative symptoms in childhood trauma survivors and inform the modification of the trauma model of dissociation.