Systemic effects of trauma in clinic couples: An exploratory study of secondary trauma resulting from childhood abuse

Clinical literature suggests that those close to a trauma survivor may expe rience intrapersonal and interpersonal distress because of indirect or seco ndary effects of the trauma. The focus of this study is on the association between reported childhood physical and sexual abuse and current individual stress symptoms, relationship satisfaction, and family adjustment. The par ticipants included 96 clinic couples who reported a history of childhood ph ysical or sexual abuse in one or both partners and 65 clinic couples in whi ch neither partner reported such abuse. Couples in which one ol both partne rs reported childhood abuse reported significantly lower marital satisfacti on, higher individual stress symptoms, and lower family cohesion than coupl es with no abuse history No significant differences were found between indi viduals who reported a history of abuse and their partners who reported no history of childhood abuse, suggesting support for secondary trauma theory Clinical and future research implications are discussed.