(PS6-D84) The Associations Between Negative Posttraumatic Cognitions and Self- evaluative Emotions Among Veterans in a Residential PTSD Treatment Program

         Extant literature has emphasized the role of negative alterations in belief structures about one’s sense of self, the world, and perceived blame for their trauma (i.e., self-blame) in the chronicity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Kaczkurkin et al., 2017). Additionally, growing evidence posits that specific negative self-evaluative emotions, such as shame, guilt, or embarrassment, may predict PTSD symptom severity (Puhalla et al, 2021).  More specifically, in a sample of women who experienced interpersonal violence (IPV),–shame and guilt were significantly associated with higher levels of negative posttraumatic beliefs about one’s sense of self and the world, respectively, after controlling for other negative emotions.  These findings highlight the importance of exploring whether these associations exist in a sample of veterans with exposure to a variety of traumatic experiences. The purpose of the present study was to examine the associations between negative self-evaluative emotions and negative posttraumatic belief structures among a sample of veterans participating in a seven-week residential PTSD program.
      The present sample included 40 veterans (77.5%; N = 31 male) who were admitted to a Midwest Veteran Affairs Medical Center 7-week residential PTSD program. Within the sample, 19 veterans identified as White (47.5%), 18 as  Black (45%), and one as Hispanic/Latino (2.5%) with a mean age of 48.5 years old (SD= 9.7).  PTSD was diagnosed using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale-5 (CAPS-5). Posttraumatic negative beliefs were measured using the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) subscales, which included negative cognitions about the self, negative cognitions about the world, and self-blame. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Finally, embarrassment, guilt, and shame were measured using the Embarrassment, Guilt, and Shame Scale (EGSS)
         Three hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to examine how embarrassment, guilt, and shame relate to negative posttraumatic cognitions about the self, the world, and self-blame, while controlling for PTSD and depression. Pearson zero-order correlations found that all negative self-evaluative emotions were positively associated with posttraumatic cognition subscales, (r range = .35 to .73), with the exception of embarrassment and posttraumatic cognitions about the world Results revealed that only shame was significantly associated with negative cognitions about the self, F (5, 33) = 8.35, p < .05. Guilt was trending (p=0.08) towards a significant association with negative thoughts about the world. No significant findings were found for self-blame.
          Preliminary results suggest that negative self-evaluative emotions may significantly associated with posttraumatic belief structures regarding the self, the world and self-blame.  Along with present findings, results will be re-tested with a larger sample size as data collection is ongoing, and six-month follow-up data will be reported. Per previous findings, we expect additional significant associations among shame, guilt, embarrassment, and negative posttraumatic cognitions about the self, the world, and self-blame.