Relationships between self-consistency, trauma-centred identity, and post-traumatic adjustment

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) models suggest that trauma-centred self-change is motivated by self-consistency. Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between self-consistency, trauma-centred identity, and PTSD symptoms. Method: University students (n = 134) completed measures of trauma-centred identity (Centrality of Events Scale), self-consistency, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (Impact of Events Scale-Revised, Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale). Results: A significant positive correlation was found between trauma-centred identity and post-traumatic symptoms. However, self-consistency was not related to post-traumatic symptoms or trauma-centred identity. Given the relationship between depressive symptoms and self-consistency, the correlations were also conducted controlling for depression. When the effects of depressive symptoms were partialled out, both self-consistency and trauma-centred identity were positively correlated with intrusion symptoms. Discussion and Conclusion: The implications for PTSD models, which suggest self-change is motivated by self-consistency, are discussed and implications for clinical treatments are considered.