Publication Date
2025
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
Jenni Teeters, Matt Woodward, Diane Lickenbrock
Degree Program
Department of Psychological Sciences
Degree Type
Master of Science
Abstract
Both sexual assault and alcohol use are extremely prevalent on college campuses. This poses a risk for alcohol-involved sexual assault due to lowered perceptions of danger. Alcoholinvolved sexual assault (AISA) is concerning due to the negative outcomes associated with it, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, increased alcohol use, and alcoholrelated problems. In addition, trauma-related guilt has also been shown to be present in sexual trauma exposed individuals, which could influence how individuals recover from sexual trauma. However, research is limited in terms of how trauma-related guilt may influence the relationship between campus sexual assault and mental health/alcohol-related outcomes. The current study aimed to 1.) examine the associations between campus sexual assault and mental health/alcoholrelated outcomes, 2.) explore differences in mental health outcomes (PTSD, depression, and alcohol use/problems) in individuals who experienced AISA versus non-AISA, and 3.) explore whether the association between campus sexual assault and alcohol use outcomes is mediated by trauma-related guilt. A survey measuring campus sexual assault, alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, PTSD symptoms, and depression symptoms was distributed to a sample of trauma exposed college women. Results indicated that there were significant associations between campus sexual assault, alcohol use, and alcohol-related consequences and AISA and hindsight bias. Additionally, there were significant group differences in hindsight bias and alcohol use. Lastly, there was no mediating effect for trauma-related guilt on the association between campus sexual assault and alcohol-related outcomes. Future studies should aim to examine these variables in larger samples and should examine the effects of different types of sexual trauma in relation to the outcome variables. Lastly, the results from the current study can be used to design and implement interventions targeting heavy alcohol use on college campuses to reduce the risk for AISA and interventions for hindsight bias in sexual trauma survivors.
Disciplines
Clinical Psychology | Health Psychology | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Traxler, Sidney, "EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF TRAUMA-RELATED GUILT ON THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CAMPUS SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES" (2025). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 3800.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/3800