Research Symposium

BIO

I am currently a second year undergraduate student double majoring in biology and public health in hopes to go to Physician's Assistant school and work in neonatology. I have a passion for children's research as well as things that center around helping people find relief from pre-existing conditions. In the future I yearn to work hands on in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and help premature babies recover from their ailments.

Relationship Between Childhood Experiences, Threat Responding, and Posttraumatic Stress

Abstract

The study detailed in this poster investigates the effect traumatic childhood events have
on the manifestation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and tonic immobility (TI). Gaining
insight into the correlation between these two variables is valuable for informing the
development of better prevention and treatment plans. As defined by the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH), PTSD is a ‘disorder that develops in some people who have experienced
a shocking, scary, or dangerous event’ and affects the individual continuously. TI can be
explained as a ‘temporary state of motor inhibition’ (Abrams et al., 2009). The sample used in
this study was all females 18 years or older split into groups of 3 individuals with prior tonic
immobility experience, individuals with prior trauma but no tonic immobility, and healthy
controls. Various measures were utilized including the Tonic Immobility Questionnaire, Fight
Flight Freeze Questionnaire, etc. Results showed significant correlations between factors
including but not limited to harshness and flight as well as TI severity and childhood
unpredictability. Freeze and fight tendencies were not significantly linked to any predictors,
which can be further explored in future studies. These outcomes allow for the development of
more effective prevention and treatment strategies for those that suffer from PTSD.

Keywords: PTSD, trauma, childhood trauma, tonic immobility