Unexpected Social Reactions During the First IPV Disclosure, Perceived Social Support, Self-Compassion, and PTSD Symptoms

Women’s first disclosure experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) can be an important predictor of mental health over time, though mechanisms of this phenomenon are not well understood. One possibility is that IPV survivors’ expectations of how disclosure receivers will react, if violated, could influence PTSD symptoms by way of affecting IPV survivors’ self-compassion and perceived social support. As a preliminary step to evaluate this causal model, the present study examined a cross-sectional retrospective prototype of the model. Women ( n  = 296) who previously disclosed their IPV experience completed an online survey of measures assessing recalled expectancy violations (REVs) that occurred during disclosure interactions, self-compassion, perceived social support, and PTSD symptoms. Mediation analyses tested hypothesized interrelations of REVs in the first disclosure, self-compassion, perceived social support, and PTSD symptoms. Hypothesized indirect effects of negative REV extent on PTSD symptom severity via self-compassion and perceived social support were found. These cross-sectional findings were consistent with the hypothesized prototype model but could not address directionality of effects. Many participants reported REVs that occurred many years before this study, which could threaten validity. Thus, if a parallel relationship pattern is found in future longitudinal research pre-and post-disclosure, it would suggest that in the context of first disclosures of IPV, the valence and intensity of REVs could plausibly influence survivors’ mental health by way of effects on and through survivors’ self-compassion and perceived social support.