What’s in a Betrayal? Trauma, Dissociation, and Hallucinations Among High-Functioning Ethnic Minority Emerging Adults

ABSTRACT

Objective. Interpersonal trauma is linked with mental health outcomes, including dissociation and hallucinations (Gómez & Freyd, 2017a). Betrayal trauma theory (BTT) identifies the closeness of the perpetrator as a contributor to harm (Freyd, 1996). Cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT; Gómez, 2017b) further contextualizes trauma within the sociocultural context for minorities. According to CBTT, cultural betrayal trauma (perpetrator: same minority ethnicity) includes a traumatic dimension of harm that is linked with trauma-related mental health. The purpose of the current study is to examine high betrayal (perpetrator: close other) and cultural betrayal (perpetrator: same ethnicity) in trauma as it relates to dissociation and hallucinations among high-functioning ethnic minority emerging adults.

Method. Participants (N = 296; M_age = 20.12; Female: 60.5%) were ethnic minority college students (35.0% Asian, 24.7% Hispanic/Latino American, 14.2% Other, 13.2% Black/African American, 5.7% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 3.4% American Indian/Alaska Native, and 3.4% Middle Eastern) who completed an online questionnaire assessing interpersonal trauma victimization, dissociation, and hallucinations.

Results. Over 50% of the sample reported interpersonal trauma victimization. Moreover, when controlling for participant ethnicity, interracial trauma, high betrayal trauma, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, there was an indirect effect of cultural betrayal trauma on hallucinations through dissociation (B = .1919; 95% CI: .1110, .3101).

Conclusions. By incorporating high betrayal and cultural betrayal into research, this work has implications for culturally competent treatment for diverse minority victims.

KEYWORD:

• College students
• cultural betrayal trauma theory
• dissociation
• ethnic minority
• hallucinations
• intra-racial trauma
• CBTT
• relational cultural therapy

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program under the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, administered by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, & Medicine.