Experiences and regulation of posttraumatic shame among women with interpersonal trauma histories: An ecological momentary assessment study.

Abstract

Objective: Posttraumatic shame-an emotion stemming from harsh attitudes about the self after trauma-is central to posttraumatic stress disorder for many women following physical or sexual assault or abuse (interpersonal trauma [IPT]). However, knowledge of how shame is experienced in daily life post-IPT (e.g., frequency, intensity, and stability) is lacking. Additionally, though some research has explored shame-specific emotion regulation (ER) or processes aimed at changing emotional responses to shame, it remains unclear which ER strategies are effective in reducing shame.

Method: We explored momentary experiences and regulation of posttraumatic shame via a secondary analysis of ecological momentary assessment data. Sixty women post-IPT completed assessments of shame and their use of six ER strategies (reflection, rumination, reappraisal, emotion sharing, emotion suppression, and distraction) five times per day for 14 days.

Results: Women experiencing more severe baseline posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms reported more intense momentary shame. Experiencing more intense shame than typical was associated with greater next-assessment use of rumination, emotion sharing, and reappraisal. Higher than typical use of rumination, emotion suppression, and distraction was associated with more intense next-assessment shame, and higher than typical use of emotion sharing was associated with more severe next-assessment shame among women with low or moderate posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that women may use both avoidance- and approach-oriented ER strategies at times when shame is more intense. Future researchers should consider contextual factors that may shape the daily experience and regulation of posttraumatic shame post-IPT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).