The association between challenging behaviour and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in people with intellectual disabilities: a Bayesian mediation analysis approach

Autor(en)

Doris Rittmannsberger, Takuya Yanagida, Germain Weber, Brigitte Lueger-Schuster

Abstrakt

Background
A preponderance of behavioural symptoms is assumed to be the main difference in the manifestation of symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people with intellectual disability (ID). However, no study so far has assessed the relationship between challenging behaviour (CB) and PTSD. The present study aims to explore this relationship by exploring whether CB is directly related to trauma exposure or whether this relationship is mediated through core symptoms of PTSD.
Methods
Trauma exposure and current symptoms of PTSD were assessed in 43 adults with mild to moderate ID. Parallel versions were administered to 43 caregivers, including the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist to measure CB. Bayesian mediation analyses were conducted using self‐rated and informant‐rated data.
Results
The self‐report data showed no associations of CB with trauma exposure or PTSD symptoms. The association between informant‐rated trauma exposure and irritability was mediated by severity and frequency of PTSD symptoms. The associations between informant‐reported trauma exposure and the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist subscales hyperactivity and inappropriate speech were mediated by PTSD symptom severity.
Conclusions
The relationship between trauma exposure and CB was mediated by PTSD symptoms. PTSD core symptoms should be considered as underlying causes of CB, highlighting the necessity to explore trauma biography and symptoms of PTSD. The improvement of self‐report assessment in people with ID is an important task for future studies.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Klinische und Gesundheitspsychologie, Institut für Psychologie der Entwicklung und Bildung

Journal

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research

Band

64

Seiten

538-550

Anzahl der Seiten

13

ISSN

0964-2633

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12733

Publikationsdatum

05-2020

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

501010 Klinische Psychologie

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neurology, Neurology, Psychiatry and Mental health, Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous), Rehabilitation

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/612c56af-f99f-49fd-b568-43d82bf2b2bb