Impact of Trauma Recognition on Recovery Optimism and Blame: An Experimental Vignette Study of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome)

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), a syndrome of inattention characterized by daydreaming, spaciness, confusion, and slow thinking and behavior, is strongly correlated with childhood trauma and symptoms resembling trauma-related dissociative disorders. Without trauma recognition, those with SCT may face label-based stigma that could negatively impact their psychosocial well-being and access to traumainformed care. However, research regarding the impact of diagnostic labels and perceived etiology on perceptions of individuals presenting with SCT symptoms is lacking. In a 3 × 3 vignette-based study featuring a story of a protagonist with dissociative, hypoactive symptoms (N = 372 mostly female, White university undergraduate students), we investigated stigma of the label SCT (vs. a less pejorative proposed label, cognitive disengagement hypoactivity syndrome [CDHS], and no label) and its perceived etiology (childhood trauma, biogenetic, or unknown). Our key findings were that recovery optimism, or the belief that someone is capable of recovery, is higher when a childhood trauma history is recognized as the etiology compared to a biogenetic or unknown etiology, regardless of diagnostic label. Also, blame was higher toward childhood trauma and unknown etiologies but lower toward a biogenetic etiology. Finally, the SCT label predicted significantly lower recovery optimism based on the name alone, but CDHS did not. There were no significant differences between groups in the other stigma variables (perceived competence, likability, and status). Implications of these novel findings are discussed in terms of clinical recommendations and trauma survivor advocacy.