Title: Childhood Psychological Maltreatment, Sense of Self, and PTSD Symptoms in Emerging Adulthood

Authors: Justin R. Watts, PhD; Nicholas R. Lazzareschi; Yanhong Liu, PhD; and Deirdre O'Sullivan, PhD

Description: Child maltreatment (CM) is a significant public health issue that negatively impacts behavioral, physical, and psychological health across the lifespan (MaWatts et al., 2023). More specifically, Watts et al. stated that child psychological maltreatment (CPM) has been identified as a greater predictor of more severe PTSD symptoms when compared to other types of abuse; however, they explain that current treatments for CM associated with PTSD may not be as effective and that research on PTSD specifically associated with CPM is lacking. This Continuing Professional Development resources provides counselors with a rationale to understand the relationships among childhood psychological maltreatment (CPM), sense of self (SOS), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), know counseling interventions that focus on SOS during emerging adulthood for survivors of CPM who experience PTSD symptoms, and explain specific counseling practice and research implications.