High Betrayal Child Sexual Abuse and Hallucinations: A Test of an Indirect Effect of Dissociation

ABSTRACT

Though hallucinations traditionally have been conceptualized as a central feature of psychosis, some hallucinations may be dissociative, with dissociation potentially contributing to hallucinations. Childhood trauma has been linked with dissociation and hallucinations. Betrayal trauma theory distinguishes abusive experiences based on closeness to the perpetrator. In the current study, we examined the indirect effect of dissociation on the relationship between high betrayal child sexual abuse (perpetrated by a close other) and hallucinations. Participants (N = 192) from a northwestern university in the United States completed self-report measures online assessing history of high betrayal child sexual abuse and current dissociation and hallucinations. Bootstrapping analyses indicated a significant indirect effect of high betrayal child sexual abuse on hallucinations through dissociation, 95% Confidence Interval (.16, .66). Through betrayal trauma theory, this study provides a non-pathologizing framework for understanding how dissociation and hallucinations may develop as natural reactions to the harm inherent in child sexual abuse perpetrated by a close other. These findings have clinical implications for relational models of healing for trauma survivors who are distressed by dissociation and hallucinations.

KEYWORDS:

• betrayal trauma theory
• college students
• incest
• mental health
• psychosis
• relational cultural therapy
• relational trauma
• violence

Disclosure of interest

Authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to report.

Ethical standards and informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer M. Gómez

Jennifer M. Gómez, MS, Ford Fellow, is the co-editor of the special issue of Journal of Trauma and Dissociation—Self-Injury and Suicidality: The Impact of Trauma & Dissociation (2015) and a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.

Jennifer J. Freyd

Jennifer J. Freyd, PhD, is the editor of Journal of Trauma and Dissociation and professor of psychology at University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.