The Preliminary Development of a Scale to Measure Trauma Disclosure: The Mississippi Trauma Disclosure Scale

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

© 2020 by SSRG - IJHSS Journal

Volume 7 Issue 4

Year of Publication : 2020

Authors : Rodney A. Bragdon

10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V7I4P101

How to Cite?

Rodney A. Bragdon, "The Preliminary Development of a Scale to Measure Trauma Disclosure: The Mississippi Trauma Disclosure Scale," SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 7,  no. 4, pp. 1-9, 2020. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V7I4P101

Abstract:

Trauma disclosure (TD) is a core component of most PTSD treatments. Trauma cue avoidance is a hallmark of PTSD, and TD may index emotional processing of trauma which may moderate the development of PTSD. Despite a need for valid TD measures, existing measures (a) focus on narrow
populations, (b) ask participants to forecast disclosure, and/or (c) lack psychometric support data. This project evaluated the psychometrics for the Mississippi Trauma Disclosure Scale (MTDS), designed to quantify disclosure of both objective trauma experience and emotional responses, two
components theorized as necessary for successful PTSD treatment. Two studies with different populations (college undergraduates and substance abuse inpatients) supported the MTDS’s initial factor structure, internal and test-retest reliability, and construct validity. Both researchers and clinicians may find the MTDS a useful tool.

Keywords:

trauma disclosure, PTSD, assessment, reliability, validity

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