Complex trauma in adults: Examination of somatization and mediation effect of dissociation and emotion dysregulation

The main aim of the study is to investigate the effects of Complex Trauma on adults living in Türkiye. For this aim, it is examined the relationship of complex trauma with somatization, dissociation and emotion dysregulation. The study sample consisted of 388 adults aged between 18 and 65 years (M=32.35, SD=10.117). 289 of the participants were female (74.5%), 97 of were male (25%) and 2 (0.5%) of the participants did not specify their gender. Demographic Information Form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-33), Complex Trauma Inventory (CTI), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES II), Somatization Scale and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-33) were employed to collect data. The hypotheses of the study were tested with T-test, Pearson Correlation and Hayes Process Macro analyses. Results indicated the relationship of complex trauma with somatization, dissociation, and emotion dysregulation. However, it has been confirmed that complex trauma predicts somatization, dissociation and emotion dysregulation. On the other hand, it is also shown that dissociation and emotion dysregulation have partial mediation effect in the relationship between complex trauma and somatization. These findings were discussed within the scope of the literature, and the contribution of the study to clinical practices are explained.