Childhood trauma and the role of self-blame on psychological well-being after deployment in male veterans

<b>Background</b>: Childhood trauma and combat-related trauma are both associated with decreased psychosocial functioning. Coping strategies play an important role in the adjustment to traumatic events. <b>Objective</b>: The present study examined childhood trauma and the mediating role of coping strategies in adult psychological symptoms in a non-clinical military population after deployment to Afghanistan. Additionally, the moderating role of coping strategies in vulnerability to combat events was explored. <b>Method</b>: Participants (<i>N</i> = 932) were drawn from a prospective study assessing psychological complaints (SCL-90), early trauma (ETISR-SF), combat-related events and coping strategies (Brief COPE). Mediation analyses via joint significance testing and moderation analyses were performed. <b>Results</b>: Childhood trauma is related to adult symptoms of general anxiety, depression and problems concerning interpersonal sensitivity through the mediation of self-blame as a coping strategy. Some evidence was found that self-blame moderated vulnerability to combat-related events resulting in psychological complaints, specifically symptoms of anxiety and depression. <b>Conclusions</b>: Military personnel should be made aware of self-criticizing maladaptive belief systems when dealing with aversive events. Negative beliefs about oneself and distorted trauma-related cognitions may have a basis in childhood events. Self-blame cognitions may be a potential mechanism of change in empirically supported trauma interventions such as cognitive processing therapy. • Childhood trauma is related to adult psychological symptoms.• Self-blame as a coping strategy is a mediator between early trauma and adult. psychological symptoms• Self-criticizing maladaptive belief systems and active coping may be important targets for those exposed to combat.