Self-Concealment as a Trauma Response: Examining the Mediating Role of Shame and Dissociation in the Link Between PTSD Symptoms and Self-Concealment Among Women Who Were Sex-Trafficked

Author: Khan, Z. K. & Raghavan, C.

Abstract: Self-concealment is a coping response to trauma through which survivors withhold information with personal, emotional, or social consequences. In this study, we examined shame and dissociation as mediators of the relationship between PTSD symptoms and self-concealment among women who were sex-trafficked. Survivors (N = 75) completed self-reported questionnaires, and statistical analysis revealed the relation between PTSD symptoms and self-concealment was mediated by shame and dissociation (19.4% and 52.3% of total effects mediated, respectively). Examining shame and dissociation as mechanisms of self-concealment provides a deeper understanding of why sex trafficking may be underdetected and how to aid survivors in discussing their experiences.

Keywords: sex trafficking, women, PTSD, self-concealment, shame, dissociation