Posttraumatic stress and psychological health following infidelity in unmarried young adults.

Abstract

Infidelity is often conceptualized as a traumatic event; however, little research has explored this topic empirically, particularly in unmarried adults. We determined the prevalence of infidelity-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among unmarried adults who experienced a partner s infidelity and whether probable infidelity-related PTSD was associated with additional psychological health outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, perceived stress, anxiety symptoms). We also investigated whether negative posttraumatic cognitions mediated the associations between infidelity-related PTSD symptoms and psychological health. This study included 73 adults (M age = 19.42, SE = 0.19 years) who experienced infidelity within a committed nonmarital relationship within the last five years. Controlling for gender, race, and exposure to DSM Criterion A traumas, 45.2% of our sample reported symptoms suggesting probable infidelity-related PTSD. Whether used as continuous or categorical predictor, infidelity-related PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, although results for perceived stress and anxiety symptoms were mixed. Posttraumatic cognitions acted as a partial mediator for depressive symptoms, and full mediator for perceived stress and anxiety symptoms. This empirical evidence suggests infidelity may produce PTSD symptoms at a relatively high rate, even in unmarried young adults, and may put individuals at risk for poorer psychological health, partially through posttraumatic cognitions.