Physical Health Consequences of Interpersonal Trauma: A Systematic Review of the Role of Psychological Variables

Abstract

Interpersonal forms of trauma are among the most commonly reported traumas. These types of traumas are more damaging to well-being than noninterpersonal forms. They have also been strongly associated with somatic symptoms and more general physical health problems. Nevertheless, the results of trauma studies are mixed and suggest that pathways may vary according to the stressors, mediators, and health outcomes investigated. This article presents a systematic qualitative review of published studies that have investigated interpersonal trauma, its association with physical health, and the potential role of intervening psychological variables. A systematic search was made of four psychology and health electronic databases. Of the 863 studies reviewed, 50 were preselected, 11 of which met the inclusion and methodological quality criteria. All but one study had a cross-sectional design. The findings showed that childhood trauma exposure was the most common category of interpersonal trauma addressed in the reviewed studies and that the physical health variables investigated were diverse. The psychological variables most frequently investigated in the studies were posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, dissociation, and substance abuse. Overall, the results suggest that interpersonal trauma exposure is associated with poorer physical health; however, the role of intervening psychological variables remains unclear. The limitations of the reviewed literature are discussed, and methodological recommendations are made for future research.