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Feeling_Dissertation_Thesis_8_15_2.pdf (1.16 MB)

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An Evaluation of HRV and Emotion Regulation as Moderators of the Relation between Traumatic Events and Physical and Mental Health Outcomes

Feeling, Nicole
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1565644829014341

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Effects of trauma have long been studied in the context of clinical disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders. However little is known regarding the experience of individuals who have experienced trauma but do not meet clinical criteria for a disorder such as PTSD or Depression. This study aimed first to characterize symptoms experienced in a nonclinical population in individuals with and without trauma. In addition, this study focused on heart rate variability (HRV) and emotion regulation (two variables related to self-regulatory capacity), and their relations to trauma exposure. HRV and emotion regulation may both be negatively impacted by trauma, but each may also magnify or reduce vulnerability to adverse psychological and physical outcomes of trauma exposure. This study aimed to evaluate these potential moderating relationships. Results indicated that worry and sleep problems were higher in the trauma groups in comparison with individuals who did not report trauma. In addition, individuals with subclinical trauma symptoms displayed distinct symptom patterns from individuals with PTSD. Difficulties in emotion regulation moderated the relation between trauma group and perceived stress such that a significant group difference was found in perceived stress only at higher levels emotion regulation difficulties. These findings persisted for the relation between perceived stress and worry as well. For HRV, planned contrasts for JSS, PSWQ, HADS-D, and PSS were all significant in the expected directions such that a significant group difference was found in the outcome variables only at lower levels of HRV. Altogether, even given the limited number of traumas and limited trauma severity in the sample, findings largely pointed to difficulties in emotion regulation and low HRV as potential indicators of vulnerability to trauma.
Michael Vasey, Ph.D. (Advisor)
98 p.
Psychology
HRV; trauma; resilience; emotion regulation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Feeling, N. (2019). An Evaluation of HRV and Emotion Regulation as Moderators of the Relation between Traumatic Events and Physical and Mental Health Outcomes [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1565644829014341

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Feeling, Nicole. An Evaluation of HRV and Emotion Regulation as Moderators of the Relation between Traumatic Events and Physical and Mental Health Outcomes. 2019. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1565644829014341.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Feeling, Nicole. "An Evaluation of HRV and Emotion Regulation as Moderators of the Relation between Traumatic Events and Physical and Mental Health Outcomes." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1565644829014341

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1565644829014341
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© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.