Bidirectional associations between PTSD symptoms and pain in daily life among women survivors of sexual assault

The co-occurrence between pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly explained by the mutual maintenance model, which proposes that each condition exacerbates the other. We tested this model by examining within-day associations between pain and PTSD using a three-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design. Young adult cisgender women (N = 82) who experienced sexual assault and reported PTSD symptoms and probable alcohol misuse completed three self-report surveys per day assessing momentary pain intensity and PTSD symptoms. Results from a dynamic structural equation model supported hypotheses, such that pain predicted greater PTSD symptoms four hours later and PTSD symptoms predicted greater pain. However, exploratory follow up analyses revealed differential findings by cluster, such that intrusions, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and hyperarousal each predicted subsequent pain, whereas pain predicted only later hyperarousal. Findings add nuance to our understanding of the mutual maintenance model and point to hyperarousal symptoms as a key symptom cluster linking daily pain and PTSD among women who have experienced sexual assault. Findings underscore the potential value of targeting hyperarousal symptoms in integrative interventions.