Emotional Numbing as a Mediator Between Sexual Trauma and Relationship Dissatisfaction in Women

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotional numbing in the relationship between sexual trauma and relationship dissatisfaction in women. Methods and Materials: A descriptive correlational design was employed, involving 400 adult women from Kenya selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using three standardized instruments: the Sexual Experiences Survey–Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) for assessing sexual trauma, the emotional numbing cluster from the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), and the Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-32) to evaluate relationship dissatisfaction. Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS-27. Pearson correlation was used to examine associations between variables, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in AMOS-21 was conducted to test the mediating model and assess model fit using Chi-square, CFI, TLI, GFI, AGFI, and RMSEA. Findings: Pearson correlations revealed significant positive relationships between sexual trauma and emotional numbing (r = .51, p < .001), sexual trauma and relationship dissatisfaction (r = .48, p < .001), and emotional numbing and relationship dissatisfaction (r = .54, p < .001). SEM results indicated a good model fit (χ² = 143.62, df = 72, χ²/df = 1.99, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.049). Emotional numbing partially mediated the relationship between sexual trauma and relationship dissatisfaction (indirect β = .22, p < .001), while the total effect remained significant (β = .53, p < .001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that emotional numbing is a significant psychological mechanism through which sexual trauma contributes to relationship dissatisfaction in women. Addressing emotional disengagement in trauma-informed therapy may be key to improving relational outcomes among survivors of sexual abuse.