Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
12-2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Clinical Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Ruby Charak
Second Advisor
Dr. Arthur Cantos
Third Advisor
Dr. Deepu George
Abstract
The association between traumatic experiences and chronic pain is well established. Lesser is known about how acculturation might affect this relation, specifically with Hispanics. In the present study, self-report measures on traumatic experiences, posttraumatic stress symptoms, emotion dysregulation, chronic pain, and acculturation were administered to 140 participants (71.4% females) aged 18–65 years old (M = 35.06, SD = 11.55), to determine whether acculturation moderates the relation between adverse lifetime experiences and chronic pain as mediated by posttraumatic stress symptoms and emotion dysregulation.
Those who were highly acculturated to the U.S. Anglo culture were higher on chronic pain than those who were less acculturated; however, those who were less acculturated had a steeper incline in chronic pain as emotion dysregulation and posttraumatic symptoms of negative affect and hyperarousal increased, ultimately expressing more chronic pain overall. More research needs to be conducted on Hispanic populations to see how this plays out longitudinally.
Alternate abstract:
La asociación entre experiencias traumáticas y dolor crónico está bien establecida. Se sabe menos sobre cómo la aculturación puede afectar esta relación, específicamente con los hispanos. En el presente estudio, se administraron medidas de autoinforme sobre experiencias traumáticas, síntomas de estrés postraumático, desregulación emocional, dolor crónico y aculturación a 140 participantes (71,4% mujeres) de 18 a 65 años de edad (M = 35,06, DE = 11,55) , para determinar si la aculturación modera la relación entre las experiencias adversas de por vida y el dolor crónico mediado por los síntomas de estrés postraumático y la desregulación de las emociones.
Aquellos que estaban altamente aculturados a la cultura anglo de los Estados Unidos tenían más dolor crónico que aquellos que estaban menos aculturados; sin embargo, aquellos que estaban menos aculturados tuvieron una inclinación más pronunciada en el dolor crónico a medida que aumentaron la desregulación de las emociones y los síntomas postraumáticos de afecto negativo e hiperactivación, que finalmente expresaron más dolor crónico en general. Se necesita más investigación sobre las poblaciones hispanas para ver cómo se desarrolla esto longitudinalmente.
Recommended Citation
El-Haj, Miriam, "Association Between Lifetime Adverse Events, Emotion Dysregulation, Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Acculturation, and Chronic Pain: A Moderated Mediation Model" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 449.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/449
Comments
Copyright 2019 Mariam El-Haj. All Rights Reserved.
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/utrgv.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/association-between-lifetime-adverse-events/docview/2382636308/se-2?accountid=7119