(PS10-36) Self-Blame and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Among Emerging Adults Who Experienced Sexual Abuse

Among potentially traumatic events, sexual assault consistently has a high likelihood for posttraumatic stress (PTS).¹ PTS includes avoidance, intrusive symptoms, and marked alterations in arousal. Additionally, PTS is characterized by negative alterations in cognitions and mood, such as persistent, distorted beliefs that lead an individual to blame themselves. ² Trauma survivors who blame themselves may have worse outcomes³ and may be less open to seeking mental health services,⁴ despite effective treatments available for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.^{5, 6} The consequences of sexual assault are particularly relevant for the emerging adulthood population given the higher prevalence among this age group.⁷ In addition, developmental characteristics of emerging adulthood increase the risk for development of posttraumatic stress after sexual assault. This developmental time is defined by identity exploration, numerous possibilities for the future, a focus on oneself, and negativity (i.e., confusion, pressure, instability, stress, and unpredictability).⁸ While emerging adulthood offers opportunities for growth, it may also make young adults who have experienced sexual assault more vulnerable to posttraumatic stress and self-blame–potentially reducing their openness to seeking help. Among young adults who experienced sexual assault, we examined the degree to which self-blame relates to attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Additionally, we sought to determine the degree to which the developmental context of emerging adulthood moderates the relationship between self-blame and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Survey instruments included the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory 9-item Version,⁹ the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Version (ATSPPH),¹⁰ and the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood 8-item Version.¹¹ Participants (N = 86, M_age = 23.85, 75.6% woman, 48.8% White, 19.8% Black, 14.0% Mixed, 9.3% Other, 8.1% Asian) were 18-to-29-year-olds who reported experiencing sexual assault as a part of a broader study (N = 232) of individuals recruited through Prolific. Data was collected via REDCap and analyzed using Hayes PROCESS macro on SPSS 29.0.2. We conducted a linear regression analysis examining if the effect of self-blame on ATSPPH was moderated by negativity among emerging adults who had experienced sexual assault. The overall model was statistically significant (F(3, 82) = 3.414, p = .021, R² = .111), and the interaction effect was approaching significance, F(1, 82) = 3.013, p = .086, R² = .033. Post-hoc analyses revealed self-blame was negatively associated with attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help only among emerging adults experiencing high levels of negativity (β = -.153, p = .028). This indicates that harboring self-blame following sexual assault increases negative attitudes toward seeking psychological help only when emerging adulthood is marked by pressure and stress. Altogether, our data suggest feelings of self-blame are not a universal barrier to seeking psychological services, as the developmental context must be considered. Further implications will be discussed.