The current study examined the process by which attachment influences dissociation in the presence of sexual trauma history. Sixty-two female individuals completed measures of attachment, trauma, and dissociation as a part of the intake assessment process the first week of their admission to a partial hospitalization program for treatment of an eating disorder. These archival data (2006 – 2013) were hand scored and coded by the researcher to ensure consistency across measures. Multiple mediations in parallel and moderated mediations in parallel were run using Hayes’ (2012) bootstrapping PROCESS macros. Consistent with predictions derived from the literature, sexual trauma significantly predicted insecure attachment, although secure attachment was significantly negatively predicted by sexual trauma. Indirect effects of sexual trauma on dissociative pathology through insecure and secure attachment styles were not significant for participants. These findings may be useful in the application of trauma-focused work for eating disorder diagnoses.
","abstract_html":"<p>The current study examined the process by which attachment influences dissociation in the presence of sexual trauma history. Sixty-two female individuals completed measures of attachment, trauma, and dissociation as a part of the intake assessment process the first week of their admission to a partial hospitalization program for treatment of an eating disorder. These archival data (2006 – 2013) were hand scored and coded by the researcher to ensure consistency across measures. Multiple mediations in parallel and moderated mediations in parallel were run using Hayes’ (2012) bootstrapping PROCESS macros. Consistent with predictions derived from the literature, sexual trauma significantly predicted insecure attachment, although secure attachment was significantly negatively predicted by sexual trauma. Indirect effects of sexual trauma on dissociative pathology through insecure and secure attachment styles were not significant for participants. These findings may be useful in the application of trauma-focused work for eating disorder diagnoses.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Rivinius, Kelly Cauley"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)","degree_level":"Doctoral Project","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Boyd, Kendal C.","Mar, Jeffrey N."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:15Z","subjects":["Psychology","Eating Disorders - Treatment; Eating Disorders - Psychology; Dissociative Disorders;","Sexual Trauma","Dissociation","Eating Disorders","Attachment","Dissociative Pathology","Sexual Abuse"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/149","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Boyd, Kendal C.","Mar, Jeffrey N."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Rivinius, Kelly Cauley"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral Project"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Psychology","Eating Disorders - Treatment; Eating Disorders - Psychology; Dissociative Disorders;","Sexual Trauma","Dissociation","Eating Disorders","Attachment","Dissociative Pathology","Sexual Abuse"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/149"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The current study examined the process by which attachment influences dissociation in the presence of sexual trauma history. Sixty-two female individuals completed measures of attachment, trauma, and dissociation as a part of the intake assessment process the first week of their admission to a partial hospitalization program for treatment of an eating disorder. These archival data (2006 – 2013) were hand scored and coded by the researcher to ensure consistency across measures. Multiple mediations in parallel and moderated mediations in parallel were run using Hayes’ (2012) bootstrapping PROCESS macros. Consistent with predictions derived from the literature, sexual trauma significantly predicted insecure attachment, although secure attachment was significantly negatively predicted by sexual trauma. Indirect effects of sexual trauma on dissociative pathology through insecure and secure attachment styles were not significant for participants. These findings may be useful in the application of trauma-focused work for eating disorder diagnoses.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Sexual Trauma, Attachment, and Dissociation in Eating Disorder Populations"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Boyd, Kendal C.","Mar, Jeffrey N."],"dc:creator":["Rivinius, Kelly Cauley"],"dc:description.abstract":["The current study examined the process by which attachment influences dissociation in the presence of sexual trauma history. Sixty-two female individuals completed measures of attachment, trauma, and dissociation as a part of the intake assessment process the first week of their admission to a partial hospitalization program for treatment of an eating disorder. These archival data (2006 – 2013) were hand scored and coded by the researcher to ensure consistency across measures. Multiple mediations in parallel and moderated mediations in parallel were run using Hayes’ (2012) bootstrapping PROCESS macros. Consistent with predictions derived from the literature, sexual trauma significantly predicted insecure attachment, although secure attachment was significantly negatively predicted by sexual trauma. Indirect effects of sexual trauma on dissociative pathology through insecure and secure attachment styles were not significant for participants. These findings may be useful in the application of trauma-focused work for eating disorder diagnoses.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/149"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Psychology","Eating Disorders - Treatment; Eating Disorders - Psychology; Dissociative Disorders;","Sexual Trauma","Dissociation","Eating Disorders","Attachment","Dissociative Pathology","Sexual Abuse"],"dc:title":["Sexual Trauma, Attachment, and Dissociation in Eating Disorder Populations"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral Project"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:15Z"}