Social engagement, self-efficacy, and posttraumatic stress symptoms across 6 months of psychotherapy

Objective: The current study was conducted in a naturalistic treatment setting to examine whether and how perceptions about social engagement, trauma coping self-efficacy, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) influence one another across 6 months of psychotherapy for trauma survivors.

Method: The sample included 183 clients who reported exposure to traumatic events and significant PTS (PCL-5 ≥ 33). Participants (M_age = 37.8, 53.6% female) completed surveys at intake, 3 months, and 6 months into treatment. A cross-lagged panel analysis was used to test the relationships among perceived social engagement, coping self-efficacy, and PTS across three assessment points.

Results: PTS at 3-months was a mediator in the relationship between intake perceived social engagement and 6-month coping self-efficacy and between intake perceived social engagement and 6-month perceived social engagement.

Conclusions: PTS several months into treatment may serve as a mechanism between intake perceived social engagement and functional outcomes such as coping self-efficacy.