Trauma Centrality Moderates the Relationship Between PTSD Symptoms and Trigger Warning Receptivity

Trigger warnings alert readers that upcoming themes may serve as trauma reminders. They have been proposed as an accommodation for individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the context of higher education. Previous research has raised the concern that deploying and using trigger warnings can increase one’s sense of trauma centrality, which in turn impedes posttraumatic adjustment. The current study tests the hypothesis that trauma centrality moderates the relationship between self-reported PTSD symptoms and positive trigger warning attitudes, such that those reporting comparatively high centrality and high symptomatology are most receptive to trigger warnings. Participants (n = 161) were trauma-exposed undergraduates who completed measures of trigger warning attitudes, PTSD symptoms, and trauma centrality. Results showed a significant moderating effect. Participants reporting the greatest levels of PTSD severity reported the most receptivity to trigger warnings. For those reporting the highest levels of trauma centrality, we saw high levels of trigger warning acceptability, regardless of PTSD levels reported. Even those who were experiencing few symptoms, but nevertheless understood their trauma as highly central to their identity, were highly receptive to trigger warnings. The finding adds empirical data to the understanding of the relationship between PTSD symptoms and trigger warning attitudes. Results have implications for the use of trigger warnings for trauma survivors in the context of higher education, indicating more research on how to address trauma on campus in a trauma-sensitive and evidence-based way.