Not All Wounds are Visible: Gaslighting and PTSD among Young Adult Females

Gaslighting and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are both understudied concepts within the Filipino setting. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence of gaslighting and PTSD among young adult females. Guided by the Betrayal Trauma Theory, which explains how victims may unconsciously block awareness of abuse from someone they depend on (Freyd, 1996), and the Knot Theory of the Mind, which suggests that unresolved trauma and contradictory thoughts form emotional and cognitive entanglements (Ramírez-Burgos, 2017), this study employed a mixed-method approach. Participants were selected through purposive sampling: females aged 20 to 35 who had been in a romantic relationship for at least one year, with the relationship ending at least a month before data collection. Quantitative data were gathered from 193 respondents using a profile form, the Victim Gaslighting Questionnaire (VGQ), and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). For the qualitative phase, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 participants, utilizing both face-to-face and online modes, with triangulation for analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics using Spearman’s rho revealed that a large number (86.5%) of those exposed to gaslighting suffer from symptoms associated with PTSD, thereby indicating a moderate positive correlation (rs[193] = .48). Additionally, common ways the participants experienced gaslighting were found to be manipulation of reality, assertion of dominance, and creation of confusion. Impact included physical, social, behavioral, and psychological manifestations—whereas, the gaslightees utilized both adaptive and maladaptive methods to deal with trauma. These findings can be used to develop better testing materials and interventions. It can also serve as a basis to implement more effective policies that protect those who have been subjected to gaslighting and are suffering from PTSD. However, the study’s generalizability is limited by its focus on a specific gender, age group, and geographic area.