KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Psychology of Woman Journal 3041-8615 6 Serial Number 22 2025 04 01 Emotional Numbing as a Mediator Between Sexual Trauma and Relationship Dissatisfaction in Women Emotional Numbing as a Mediator Between Sexual Trauma and Relationship Dissatisfaction in Women 1 10 10.61838/kman.pwj.6.2.13 EN Journal Article 2025 01 02 <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotional numbing in the relationship between sexual trauma and relationship dissatisfaction in women.</p> <p><strong>Methods and Materials: </strong>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.</p> <p><strong>Findings: </strong>Pearson correlations revealed significant positive relationships between sexual trauma and emotional numbing (r = .51, p &lt; .001), sexual trauma and relationship dissatisfaction (r = .48, p &lt; .001), and emotional numbing and relationship dissatisfaction (r = .54, p &lt; .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 &lt; .001), while the total effect remained significant (β = .53, p &lt; .001).</p> <p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>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.</p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/psywoman/article/download/4164/7178