Cracks in the foundation: disrupted epistemic trust as a link between trauma, PTSD and disturbances in self-organization
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Discussion
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Implication
Cross-sectional study reveals early relational trauma disrupts epistemic trust and increases PTSD symptoms in adults, highlighting social learning deficits in trauma-related psychopathology.
Key Points
- To examine how trauma type and timing influence disruptions in epistemic trust, and to evaluate whether epistemic stance mediates the link between trauma and PTSD or cPTSD symptoms.
- Conducted a cross-sectional survey in a representative German population sample (N = 2,519).
- Assessed trauma characteristics (type and age of onset), epistemic stance, and symptoms of PTSD and complex PTSD (cPTSD) using self-report instruments.
- Neither trauma type nor timing alone independently predicted epistemic stance, but their interaction indicated that early relational trauma had the strongest association with epistemic disruption.
- Within epistemic stance dimensions, heightened credulity significantly mediated the associations between trauma exposure and both PTSD and cPTSD symptoms.
Cite This Study
Lashani et al. (2026) studied this question.