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NEHILLA-LYNCH LAUREN 7.31.24.pdf (809.5 KB)

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The Relationship Between Institutional Identification, Institutional Betrayal, and Trauma Symptom Severity in Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma

Nehilla-Lynch, Lauren Ashley
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1721742782110337

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education.
Military sexual trauma (MST) is increasingly prevalent, with 8,866 reported cases in 2021, though actual numbers are likely higher. Despite prevention efforts by the Department of Defense, barriers to reporting, such as fear of retaliation and career impact, persist. MST negatively affects physical and psychological health, well-being, and career aspirations. Institutional Betrayal (IB), where survivors feel betrayed by their institution’s response to MST, worsens these impacts. While studied in civilian contexts, IB’s effect on U.S. military members remains underexplored, particularly regarding institutional identification. In this study, I seek to contribute to the literature about IB by clarifying the relationship between the variables of IB, institutional identification, and trauma symptom severity and through examining the impact of gender and positional power imbalances as covariates. Previous research has established the existence of a significant relationship between IB and trauma symptom severity, but has largely left out the potential impact of institutional identification with the military. Previous studies have suggested that higher levels of IB predict more severe trauma symptoms in several populations including the military. Utilizing a mediated regression model, I hypothesize that higher levels of institutional identification will result in IB, which will mediate the relationship between institutional identity and trauma symptom severity. Additionally, gender and power imbalance will be controlled for as covariates. The purpose of including IB in discussions and future research about MST is not only to provide more in-depth explanation of the culpability of the system, but also to direct the responsibility of making lasting change. This study sampled 95 student veterans who endorsed experiencing at least once instance of MST. Participants completed an online survey distributed through Qualtrics. A mediation model was used to investigate the relationship between levels of institutional identificaiton and trauma symptom severity in this sample as mediated by reported institutional betrayal while controlling for the covariates of gender and power imbalance. Results from the mediation model indicated that institutional betrayal significantly mediated the relationship between institutional identification and trauma symptom severity (F(3, 91) = 8.699, p <.001, R2 = .049). However, neither covariate was significant in the model despite differences within power imbalance.
Kelly Yu-Hsin Liao (Committee Chair)
Julia Phillips (Committee Member)
Emily Kullman (Committee Member)
141 p.
Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Military Studies; Psychology
MST; military sexual trauma; institutional betrayal; institutional identification; trauma symptom severity; military

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Nehilla-Lynch, L. A. (2024). The Relationship Between Institutional Identification, Institutional Betrayal, and Trauma Symptom Severity in Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma [Doctoral dissertation, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1721742782110337

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Nehilla-Lynch, Lauren. The Relationship Between Institutional Identification, Institutional Betrayal, and Trauma Symptom Severity in Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma. 2024. Cleveland State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1721742782110337.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Nehilla-Lynch, Lauren. "The Relationship Between Institutional Identification, Institutional Betrayal, and Trauma Symptom Severity in Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma." Doctoral dissertation, Cleveland State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1721742782110337

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1721742782110337
238
© 2024, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License The Relationship Between Institutional Identification, Institutional Betrayal, and Trauma Symptom Severity in Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma by Lauren Ashley Nehilla-Lynch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.