Appraisals of Social Trauma and Their Role in the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder

Cognitive theories of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) feature appraisal trauma as a critical factor in the development and maintenance disorder. Here we explored appraisals social (severe rejection or humiliation). Participants were outpatients with anxiety (SAD) clinically significant PTSD symptoms (PTSS) after (n = 15); two clinical control groups either SAD 32) obsessive-compulsive (OCD; n 13); group no diagnoses 38). Measures included interview to assess related open-ended Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI). Raters blind assignment performed content analyses appraisals. Results showed that PTSS scored significantly higher than on PTCI SELF subscale. Only subscale predicted diagnosis both SAD. All but one participant reported primarily negative beliefs about their trauma, most common categories flawed self others are cruel. Post-traumatic implicated course how individuals respond self-cognitions linked