Don’t Touch Me! Are Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms the Pathway between Interpersonal Trauma and Touch Behaviors, Touch Aversion, and Relationship Quality?

Prior studies have demonstrated the positive impact of touch on both individualand relational well-being. In contrast, a history of trauma is associated with reductions in well-being. Post-traumatic stress disorder caused by prior interpersonal trauma (IPT) may cause individuals to avoid interpersonal touch, which may lead to many negative outcomes. Additionally, prior studies found that experiencing more post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) is linked with worse romantic relationship quality. Accordingly, higher PTSS may be a pathway through which more IPT leads to fewer touch behaviors, more touch aversion, and worse relationship quality. Participants were 543 English-speaking females (64.8% White; mean age 30.3 years) recruited through online survey systems Sona and Prolific. The following measures were used: Cumulative Stress and Trauma Scale (IPT); Brennan Touch Scale (touch aversion); the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PTSS); CSE Scale for Trauma (CSET); Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (expressive suppression); and Perceived Relationship Quality Component Index (relationship quality). Mediation and moderated mediation models were analyzed using the PROCESS macro v.3.4 in SPSS v. 27. The major hypotheses were that 1) more IPT would lead to fewer touch behaviors, greater touch aversion, and worse relationship quality through its links to greater PTSS; and 2) the pathways between PTSS and the outcome variables would be moderated by expressive suppression (strengthening the association) and trauma coping self-efficacy (weakening the association). The results showed that the overall associations between IPT and touch behaviors and between IPT and relationship quality were not significant, but the indirect links via PTSS were significant. The association between IPT and touch aversion was significant, but the addition of PTSS as a mediator made that association nonsignificant. When moderators were added, there were mixed outcomes. The moderation term for CSET on the PTSS to touch behaviors pathway was significant. Because touch is important for healthy relationships, therapies should focus on reducing touch aversion for people with a history of IPT and high PTSS. Furthermore, therapy focusing on improving CSET and reducing expressive suppression may help increase touch behaviors, reduce touch aversion, and improve relationship quality in individuals with IPT.