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Ganslmeier M, Ehring T, Wolkenstein L. Effects of imagery rescripting and imaginal exposure on voluntary memory. Behav Res Ther 2023; 170:104409. [PMID: 37925798 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Trauma-focused imagery-based interventions, such as Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) and Imaginal Exposure (ImE), are effective in reducing involuntary re-experiencing in PTSD. However, it has been suggested that they may impair voluntary memory. This study investigates whether ImRs and ImE distort voluntary memory of an analogue trauma. We presented a trauma film to N = 120 healthy participants (Session 1) and randomly allocated them to one of two intervention conditions (receiving one session of ImRs or ImE) or to a no-intervention control condition (NIC) afterwards (Session 2). Voluntary memory was assessed using a free recall (Sessions 2 and 3), and a cued recall as well as a recognition task (both Sessions 3 and 4). The ImRs and ImE groups did not differ from NIC in the cued recall task and the recognition task. However, ImE (compared to ImRs and NIC) led to an increase in correct reported details in the free recall. In sum, the current findings do not suggest that ImRs or ImE impair voluntary memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Ehring
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
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Ernst M, Beutel ME, Zwerenz R, Krakau L. Seeing the past in a new light: change in reports of childhood abuse and neglect before and after inpatient psychotherapy and its relevance for change in depression symptoms. Psychother Res 2023; 33:222-234. [PMID: 35790188 DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2022.2088313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE As changes in mental representations have been discussed as mechanisms of change in psychotherapy, the question arises whether recollections of childhood abuse and neglect are altered as well and how they relate to symptom changes. METHOD Individuals in psychosomatic inpatient treatment (N = 488, 60.5% women) filled out the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Changes in both were investigated with correlations and t-tests. Linear regression analysis was used to test whether CTQ changes predicted symptom changes. Network analysis was performed to ascertain structural connections between somatic and emotional-cognitive depression symptoms and CTQ subscales before and after treatment. RESULTS After treatment (duration in days: M = 52.83, SD = 20.94), patients reported fewer depression symptoms (d = 0.84), while CTQ scores increased slightly (d = 0.11). Changes in the CTQ predicted recovery from depression symptoms in a statistically significant way (β = .133, p = .001). We did not observe changes in the overall network structure between baseline assessment and discharge. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that the evaluation of past experiences can change over multiple weeks of psychotherapy. Further, these updated mental representations, indicating a greater recognition of past adversity, may contribute to symptom relief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Ernst
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Manfred E Beutel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Zwerenz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lina Krakau
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Katsumi Y, de Voogd LD, Ventura-Bort C, Liu W, Qin S. Editorial: Interaction between affect and memory in the brain: From basic mechanisms to clinical implications. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1120282. [PMID: 36761035 PMCID: PMC9903060 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1120282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Katsumi
- Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States,*Correspondence: Yuta Katsumi ✉
| | - Lycia D. de Voogd
- Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands,Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Carlos Ventura-Bort
- Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China,Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
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Butterworth B, Hand CJ, Lorimer K, Gawrylowicz J. The impact of post-encoding alcohol consumption on episodic memory recall and remember-know responses in heavy drinkers. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1007477. [PMID: 36960000 PMCID: PMC10027770 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1007477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction People often consume alcohol following trauma, particularly in response to distressing memories. To date, little is known about how post-encoding alcohol consumption influences episodic memory recall for negative events. Understanding these effects may help to improve support for trauma victims - for example, witnesses and victims of crimes. Methods We tested 60 participants who self-described as heavy drinkers. After watching an analog trauma film, half were allocated to consuming a moderate dose of alcohol (Alcohol-Exposed group), while half received a placebo drink (Placebo-Control group). Immediately and after a one-week delay, participants recalled the event via free and cued recall tasks. Participants also gave remember-know responses and confidence ratings, elucidating alcohol's effect on experiential memory. Results Free recall performance was similar for the Alcohol-Exposed group and the Placebo-Control group during Sessions 1 and 2. The Alcohol-Exposed group benefitted more from the delayed repeated retrieval attempt. For the cued recall task, the Alcohol-Exposed group provided more "Do not Know" responses compared to the Placebo-Control group in both sessions. For the Alcohol-Exposed group only "Correct Know" responses increased from Session 1 to 2. Although memory performance improved across sessions, confidence levels decreased from Session 1 to 2 in the Alcohol-Exposed group. Discussion Post-encoding alcohol consumption appears to impact immediate episodic memory retrieval; however, this effect is only temporary in nature. No evidence was found that alcohol primarily reduces remembering responses. Much like previous findings focusing on pre-encoding alcohol consumption (Hagsand et al., 2017), current findings suggest that providing individuals who drank alcohol after witnessing an incident with a delayed repeated retrieval attempt can lead to more complete and accurate testimonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Butterworth
- Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Benjamin Butterworth, ; Julie Gawrylowicz,
| | | | - Karen Lorimer
- Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Julie Gawrylowicz
- Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Benjamin Butterworth, ; Julie Gawrylowicz,
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van der Velden PG, Contino C, Das M, Wittmann L. To what extent do post-traumatic mental health and other problems reflect pre-existing problems? Findings from the prospective comparative population-based VICTIMS-study. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2022:207640221140287. [PMID: 36464851 DOI: 10.1177/00207640221140287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Findings from prospective studies question the assumption that mental health problems observed in traumatized adults mainly reflect the effects of potentially traumatic events. AIMS Aim of the present comparative prospective study is to clarify the extent to which victims of potentially traumatic events with mental health, social, financial, and/or legal problems, already suffered from such problems before these events. METHOD Data was extracted from three surveys of the prospective VICTIMS-study (T1 = 2018, T2 = 2019, T3 = 2020), conducted with the population-based longitudinal LISS-panel. Differences between victims (n = 340, victimized by violence, accidents, and serious threats in the 12 months before T3) and nonvictims (n = 3,872, not victimized by such events in this period), were examined using multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS The large majority of victims with current (at T3) anxiety and depression symptomatology (74%), general mental health problems (71%), partner/family (67%), financial (76%), and legal problems (58%), and lack of support (79%), already had these problems (at T1 and/or at T2). A similar pattern was observed among nonvictims. Of the victims with current probable PTSD (at T3), 87% already had any mental health problem. At T3, among both groups, the incidence of problems was substantially lower than their prevalence. The large majority of victims with post-event mental health, social, financial, and legal problems already suffered from these problems in the past. CONCLUSIONS When victims seek help for their problems, professional care providers should be aware that in most cases, as among nonvictims, these problems are chronic/re-current rather than new problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G van der Velden
- Centerdata, Tilburg, The Netherlands.,TRANZO, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marcel Das
- Centerdata, Tilburg, The Netherlands.,Tilburg School of Economics and Management, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Lutz Wittmann
- International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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The dilemma of trauma-focused therapy: effects of imagery rescripting on voluntary memory. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 87:1616-1631. [DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01746-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTrauma-focused imagery-based interventions are suspected to alter or even distort declarative voluntary memory of a traumatic event, especially if they involve the active modification of imagery, e.g., as used in imagery rescripting (ImRs). However, systematic research is lacking so far. To investigate whether ImRs modifies voluntary memory of a standardized autobiographical aversive event (Trier Social Stress Test) (Session 1), healthy participants (N = 100) were randomly assigned to either an intervention condition receiving one session of ImRs or to a no-intervention control condition (NIC) (Session 2). Voluntary memory was examined using a free recall (Sessions 2 and 3) and a cued recall (Sessions 3 and 4). Although voluntary memory tended to deteriorate over time, contrary to expectations, this effect was not associated with ImRs. Remarkably, the number of correct details in free recall even improved in ImRs but not in NIC. This challenges the view that ImRs alters voluntary memory.
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Rudy JA, McKernan S, Kouri N, D'Andrea W. A meta-analysis of the association between shame and dissociation. J Trauma Stress 2022; 35:1318-1333. [PMID: 35749645 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Shame and dissociation have been implicated theoretically and empirically in trauma exposure and its sequelae, with shame understood as an intense negative emotion and dissociation as a reaction to intense negative emotions. Understanding the connection between shame and dissociation is important for theory and practice; however, the strength of this association remains unclear. For example, in therapy, both shame and dissociation serve as a barrier to engaging with emotion. Theoretically, these two states should be distinct, as one (dissociation) confers low affective intensity and the other (shame) high intensity. The present meta-analysis focused on the magnitude of the association between these two phenomena and investigated the extent to which gender, trauma exposure, psychiatric comorbidities, and demographic characteristics influence this association given their independent links to shame and dissociation. An initial search of six databases identified 151,844 articles. Duplicates were removed, and additional articles were excluded based on abstract and title screening. After contacting authors for missing data, a full-text screen yielded 25 articles for the present analysis. The results indicate that shame and dissociation were moderately correlated (k = 33, n = 4,705), r = .42, 95% CI [.35, .48], p < .001, but no clear clinical moderators emerged. Despite this association, very few studies utilized experimental designs to examine the association between these constructs. Future research should focus on experimental study designs to investigate the extent to which shame induces dissociation or vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine A Rudy
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, New York, USA
| | - Scott McKernan
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nicole Kouri
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Wendy D'Andrea
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, New York, USA
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Marlatte H, Beaton D, Adler-Luzon S, Abo-Ahmad L, Gilboa A. Scene Construction and Spatial Processing in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:888358. [PMID: 35846792 PMCID: PMC9278269 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.888358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with hippocampal system structural and functional impairments. Neurobiological models of PTSD posit that contextual memory for traumatic events is impaired due to hippocampal system dysfunction whilst memory of sensory details is enhanced due to amygdalar impact on sensory cortices. If hippocampal system dysfunction is a core feature of PTSD, then non-traumatic hippocampal-dependent cognitive functions such as scene construction, spatial processing, and memory should also be impaired in individuals with PTSD. Methods Forty-six trauma survivors, half diagnosed with PTSD, performed two tasks that involved spatial processing. The first was a scene construction task which requires conjuring-up spatially coherent multimodal scenarios, completed by all participants. Twenty-six participants (PTSD: n = 13) also completed a navigation task in a virtual environment, and underwent structural T1, T2 and diffusion-tensor MRI to quantify gray and white matter integrity. We examined the relationship between spatial processing, neural integrity, and symptom severity in a multiple factor analysis. Results Overall, patients with PTSD showed impaired performance in both tasks compared to controls. Scenes imagined by patients were less vivid, less detailed, and generated less sense of presence; importantly they had disproportionally reduced spatial coherence between details. Patients also made more errors during virtual navigation. Two components of the multiple factor analysis captured group differences. The first component explained 25% of the shared variance: participants that constructed less spatially coherent scenes also made more navigation errors and had reduced white matter integrity to long association tracts and tracts connecting the hippocampus, thalamus, and cingulate. The second component explained 20% of the variance: participants who generated fewer scene details, with less spatial coherence between them, had smaller hippocampal, parahippocampal and isthmus cingulate volumes. These participants also had increased white matter integrity to the right hippocampal cingulum bundle. Conclusion Our results suggest that patients with PTSD are impaired at imagining even neutral spatially coherent scenes and navigating through a complex spatial environment. Patients that showed reduced spatial processing more broadly had reduced hippocampal systems volumes and abnormal white matter integrity to tracts implicated in multisensory integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Marlatte
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Derek Beaton
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Data Science and Advanced Analytics, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Lina Abo-Ahmad
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Asaf Gilboa
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Leon CS, Bonilla M, Urreta Benítez FA, Brusco LI, Wang J, Forcato C. Impairment of aversive episodic memories during Covid-19 pandemic: The impact of emotional context on memory processes. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 187:107575. [PMID: 34973419 PMCID: PMC8715633 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The threatening context of the COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique setting to study the effects of negative psychological symptoms on memory processes. Episodic memory is an essential function of the human being related to the ability to store and remember experiences and anticipate possible events in the future. Studying this function in this context is crucial to understand what effects the pandemic will have on the formation of episodic memories. To study this, the formation of episodic memories was evaluated by free recall, recognition, and episode order tasks for an aversive and neutral content. The results indicated that aversive episodic memory is impaired both in the free recall task and in the recognition task. Even the beneficial effect that emotional memory usually has for the episodic order was undermined as there were no differences between the neutral and aversive condition. The present work adds to the evidence that indicates that the level of activation does not modify memory processes in a linear way, which also depends on the type of recall and the characteristics of the content to be encoded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela Sofía Leon
- Laboratorio de Sueño y Memoria, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Innocence Project Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Matías Bonilla
- Laboratorio de Sueño y Memoria, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo Antonio Urreta Benítez
- Laboratorio de Sueño y Memoria, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Innocence Project Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luis Ignacio Brusco
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Centro de Neuropsiquiatría y Neurología de la Conducta (CENECON), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina
| | - Jingyi Wang
- DG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research & State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Cecilia Forcato
- Laboratorio de Sueño y Memoria, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Azadfar Z, Khosravi Z, Farah Bijari A, Abdollahi A. The Persian version of the centrality of event scale (CES): Assessment of validity and reliability among Iranian university students. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e32448. [PMID: 34825512 PMCID: PMC8785629 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Event centrality, the extent to which an experience is perceived as a central event in one's life, has been found to be a strong correlate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The centrality of event scale (CES) is commonly used in different conditions and cultures to measure trauma-related effects. However, the psychometric properties of this scale have not been investigated in the Iranian context. METHODS The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Persian translation of the 7-item CES in a sample of 525 university students with a history of a romantic breakup. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a one-factor structure. The CES score was positively correlated with psychological inflexibility and PTSD symptoms. The measurement invariance analyses showed that the 7-item CES is gender invariant and can be used for both men and women. FINDINGS Findings supported the good psychometric properties of the 7-item CES for measuring event centrality in Iranian university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Azadfar
- Department of PsychologyFaculty of Education and PsychologyAlzahra UniversityTehranIran
| | - Zohreh Khosravi
- Department of PsychologyFaculty of Education and PsychologyAlzahra UniversityTehranIran
| | - Azam Farah Bijari
- Department of PsychologyFaculty of Education and PsychologyAlzahra UniversityTehranIran
| | - Abbas Abdollahi
- Department of CounselingFaculty of Education and PsychologyAlzahra UniversityTehranIran
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Zhu N, Hakim‐Larson J. Are childhood maltreatment narratives incoherent? A different story. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhu
- Department of Psychology University of Windsor Windsor Canada
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Factorial structure of autobiographical recollection assessed by a Turkish version of Autobiographical Recollection Test (ART). CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02388-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Saldaña O, Rodríguez-Carballeira Á, Almendros C, Guilera G. Group Psychological Abuse and Psychopathological Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Psychological Stress. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2021; 36:NP6602-NP6623. [PMID: 30520686 DOI: 10.1177/0886260518815710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In the context of the long-term effects of psychological abuse, this study examined psychological stress and psychopathological symptoms in survivors of groups with cultic dynamics where abusive behaviors take place on an ongoing basis. We specifically tested the mediating role of psychological stress suffered after the departure from the group between the group psychological abuse experienced and current psychopathology. An online questionnaire was administered to 608 Spanish-speaking former members of different groups. We distributed participants into a sample of victims (N = 365) and a sample of nonvictims (N = 243), according to whether or not they reported having experienced group psychological abuse. Moderate associations were found among group psychological abuse, psychological stress, and psychopathological symptoms. Greater differences in psychological stress intensity between samples were related to personal conflicts (ηp2 = .30) and social relations (ηp2 = .29). Greater differences in psychopathological symptoms were related to paranoid ideation (ηp2 = .17), psychoticism (ηp2 = .15), depression (ηp2 = .15), and interpersonal sensitivity (ηp2 = .13). Moreover, mediation testing demonstrated that psychological stress partially mediated the impact of group psychological abuse on psychopathological symptoms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the long-term effects of group psychological abuse. Survivors of abusive groups not only need help in dealing with psychopathological symptoms, but also need resources to cope with stressful environmental demands. Interventions should address both psychological stress and clinical symptoms to promote survivors' health and well-being during their integration process into the outgroup society.
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Sleep parameters improvement in PTSD soldiers after symptoms remission. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8873. [PMID: 33893376 PMCID: PMC8065125 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88337-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is still unclear whether symptoms remission through EMDR therapy is associated with a beneficial effect on one of the PTSD symptoms, sleep disturbance. Our objective was therefore to study sleep parameters before and after symptom remission in soldiers with PTSD. The control group consisted of 20 healthy active duty military men who slept in a sleep lab with standard polysomnography (PSG) on two sessions separated by one month. The patient group consisted of 17 active duty military with PTSD who underwent EMDR therapy. PSG-recorded sleep was assessed 1 week before the EMDR therapy began and 1 week after PTSD remission. We found that the increased REMs density after remission was positively correlated with a greater decrease of symptoms. Also, the number of EMDR sessions required to reach remission was correlated with intra-sleep awakenings before treatment. These results confirm the improvement of some sleep parameters in PTSD after symptoms remission in a soldier's population and provide a possible predictor of treatment success. Further experiments will be required to establish whether this effect is specific to the EMDR therapy.
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Abstract
SUMMARYDissociation is a common and often overlooked symptom in traumatised children. Although there is a lack of a scientific consensus as to the nature of dissociation and very limited research about dissociative identity disorder (DID) in children, the authors have seen children given this diagnosis recently referred to their clinic and are concerned about this practice and the parenting approaches that have ensued. The diagnosis of DID in children may be rare or of doubtful validity, but repeated traumatic experiences of an interpersonal nature can have a profound effect on a child's identity, memory and self-organisation. Furthermore, abuse and neglect can increase the risk of dissociative symptoms. This brief article considers dissociation in post-traumatic stress disorder, then outlines developmental factors hypothesised to be associated with dissociation in childhood and early adulthood. It warns that clinicians should keep an open mind about how dissociation may manifest transdiagnostically, and concludes with recommendations for further research.
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Abstract
In the November 2019 issue of Perspectives, Otgaar et al. argued that the "memory wars" persist and that "the controversial issue of repressed memories is alive and well and may even be on the rise" (p. 1072). Their thesis overlooked the well-established consensus that recovered memories of trauma may be genuine, false, or a mixture of the two and instead focused on a disputed mechanism: unconscious repression. A formal cocitation analysis identified the major publications mentioning repressed memories, but none endorsed a theory of unconscious repression. Studies of beliefs about repressed memories by the general public and other groups do not support Otgaar et al.'s thesis either because these studies did not adequately assess the key ideas defining the theory of repression. Clinical evidence is consistent with recovered memories occurring in many different forms of therapy, including ones that do not use suggestive techniques or rely on the concept of repression. Thus, Otgaar et al. have proposed the existence of a problem for which little objective evidence can be found. Continuing theoretical uncertainties about the mechanisms responsible for forgetting are less important than the general recognition since the 1990s that suggestive therapy and attempts to exhume memories are hazardous and generally inappropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris R. Brewin
- Clinical Educational and Health Psychology, University College London
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Ece B, Gülgöz S. Autobiographical memory for repeated events: remembering our vacations. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2020.1865381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Berivan Ece
- College of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sami Gülgöz
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Taylor A, Jordan K, Zajac R, Takarangi MK, Garry M. Judgments of Memory Coherence Depend on the Conditions Under Which a Memory is Retrieved, Regardless of Reported PTSD Symptoms. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN MEMORY AND COGNITION 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2020.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Yeung RC, Fernandes MA. Recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories: characteristics and links to mental health status. Memory 2020; 28:753-765. [PMID: 32525740 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2020.1777312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Memories of events from one's personal past that come to mind unintentionally and effortlessly are termed involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs). Recurrent IAMs are known as relevant to many disorders within clinical literature. However, less is known about their links with mental health status in the general population. In the current study, 2184 undergraduate students completed surveys assessing occurrence of any recurrent IAMs. Participants also wrote a description of their most frequently recurring IAM and rated it on phenomenological characteristics, such as frequency, valence, vividness, and centrality. Results showed that the majority of our sample experienced recurrent IAMs, replicating previous findings, but most of these memories were emotionally negative, unlike past work. Importantly, negative recurrent IAMs were associated with significantly more mental health concerns, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. We also found that frequency of IAM recurrence was predicted by the memory's age, level of completeness/detail, emotional intensity, and centrality to one's life story. Further, descriptions of positive recurrent IAMs contained significantly more episodic detail compared to negative or neutral ones, suggesting that emotional regulation may play a role in how recurrent IAMs are recounted. Recurrent IAMs, and their characteristics, serve as a window into mental health status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Yeung
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Myra A Fernandes
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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20
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Which groups affected by Potentially Traumatic Events (PTEs) are most at risk for a lack of social support? A prospective population-based study on the 12-month prevalence of PTEs and risk factors for a lack of post-event social support. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232477. [PMID: 32469880 PMCID: PMC7259781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Little is known about the 12-month prevalence of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and to what extent the type of PTE is a risk factor for post-event lack of social support. In addition, it is largely unknown if pre-event mental health problems and loneliness, and demographics are risk factors for a lack of support. Aim of the present prospective study is to fill these gaps in evidence-based knowledge. Methods A survey was conducted among a large random sample of the Dutch adult population (i.e. the longitudinal LISS panel) in March-April 2018, and linked with pre-event mental health and loneliness data from surveys conducted in 2016 (n = 5,879). We distinguished four forms of perceived social support: emotional and esteem support, and social recognition and general disapproval. Results Loss of a significant other and/or colleague (28%) was the most prevalent 12-month PTE. The 12-month prevalence of violence, accidents and/or, and theft-related events was 13%. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed no differences in lack of emotional and esteem support, or in lack of recognition across non-death PTEs and death-related PTEs. However, victims of threat and physical (sexual) violence more often faced disapproval than those affected by burglary and accidents. Results furthermore showed that pre-event mental health problems, pre-event loneliness and stress during the PTE were important independent predictors of forms of support and acknowledgment. Affected individuals with a non-Western background more often lacked support and acknowledgment. Conclusions Many adults are confronted with a PTE during a year. In general, pre-event factors and stress during the event are better predictors of a perceived lack of support and acknowledgment than type of event. Early screening programs should especially assess pre-event mental health and loneliness, besides levels of stress during the event, to identify affected people who are at risk for a lack of social support and acknowledgment.
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Risan P, Milne R, Binder PE. Trauma narratives: recommendations for investigative interviewing. PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND LAW : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW 2020; 27:678-694. [PMID: 33679205 PMCID: PMC7901695 DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2020.1742237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In the investigation of a criminal event, the police may encounter witnesses or victims experiencing symptoms of being traumatized (e.g. anxiety, intrusive thoughts or avoidance of trauma-related stimuli). This may pose a challenge in investigative interviews where police interviewers aim to obtain reliable and detailed accounts. Based on previous theory and research, this theoretical paper aims to outline recommendations for police interviewers for approaching traumatized adult witnesses to facilitate communication, attend to the well-being of the individual and reach investigative aims. First, factors considered important for preparing for the interview and building rapport are presented. Then, different aspects of how to facilitate the interviewee's account will be described with an emphasis on how police interviewers can approach emotional reactions to maintain rapport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Risan
- Department of Bachelor’s studies, Norwegian Police University College, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rebecca Milne
- Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Per-Einar Binder
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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22
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Manzanero AL, Palomo R. Dissociative Amnesia beyond the Evidence about the Functioning of Memory. ANUARIO DE PSICOLOGÍA JURÍDICA 2020. [DOI: 10.5093/apj2019a14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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23
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Igarashi H, Levenson MR, Aldwin CM. The Development of Wisdom: A Social Ecological Approach. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2019; 73:1350-1358. [PMID: 29425324 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study examined the development of wisdom within the context of difficult life events (DLEs), and the importance of individuals and their social environments in this process of growth. Social support has long been studied in adulthood, yet less is known about the ways social transactions can promote wisdom. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with men (n = 14) and women (n = 36), ages 56-91 years (M = 71.71; SD = 8.8) who described a DLE and how they coped with it. The analysis was guided by constructivist grounded theory. Results DLEs included those from childhood through later life. When personal meaning was disrupted by adversity, the social environment played a key role in facilitating new perspectives that corresponded with aspects of wisdom: self-knowledge, compassion, comfort with uncertainty, and accepting complexity. Discussion Wisdom is often studied as an individual characteristic, but this study highlighted the relevance of a social ecological perspective to understanding how wisdom development is also facilitated through social transactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Igarashi
- Human Development & Family Sciences, School of Social & Behavioral Health Sciences
| | - Michael R Levenson
- Human Development & Family Sciences, School of Social & Behavioral Health Sciences
| | - Carolyn M Aldwin
- Human Development & Family Sciences, School of Social & Behavioral Health Sciences.,Center for Healthy Aging Research, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis
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24
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Boykin DM, Teng EJ. A proposal for augmenting the measurement of index events in PTSD assessment using event centrality .. ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING 2019; 32:559-567. [PMID: 31272207 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2019.1638682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Standard practice in assessing and diagnosing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) entails identifying a single "worst" index event as the basis for symptom inquiry. Determining a single event can be challenging for clinicians and clients when multiple traumas are considered equally distressing. Additionally, it can be difficult to distinguish potential index events based on distress given the cumulative effect of repeated trauma exposure. This calls for the development of approaches that build on existing selection methods (e.g., worst event method). OBJECTIVE/CONCLUSIONS: In this article, we propose an innovative approach for identifying and measuring index events that utilizes the construct of event centrality to expand the parameters by which index events are selected. Event centrality assesses the degree to which traumatic events are perceived as integral to one's personal identity and worldviews. Given its role in the etiology and maintenance of PTSD symptoms, this construct also approximates the emotional impact of trauma. Incorporating validated measures of event centrality into PTSD assessments would provide an objective strategy for identifying index events in a way that may increase the reliability of diagnosis. Our proposed strategy may also have a positive impact on the therapeutic process and treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrecka M Boykin
- a Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Houston , TX , USA.,b Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University , DeKalb , IL , USA
| | - Ellen J Teng
- a Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Houston , TX , USA.,c Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.,d South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center , Houston , TX , USA.,e Houston VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (CIN13-413) , Houston , USA
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25
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Functional reorganization of neural networks involved in emotion regulation following trauma therapy for complex trauma disorders. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 23:101807. [PMID: 30986752 PMCID: PMC6505069 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Objectives We investigated whether patients with complex interpersonal trauma engage neural networks that are commonly activated during cognitive reappraisal and responding naturally to affect-laden images. In this naturalistic study, we examined whether trauma treatment not only reduces symptoms but also changes neural networks involved in emotional control. Methods Before and after eight weeks of phase-oriented inpatient trauma treatment, patients (n = 28) with complex posttraumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) and complex dissociative disorders (CDD) performed a cognitive reappraisal task while electroencephalography (EEG) was registered. Patients were measured as a prototypical dissociative part that aims to fulfill daily life goals while avoiding traumatic memories and associated dissociative parts. Matched healthy controls (n = 38) were measured twice as well. We examined task-related functional connectivity and assessed self-reports of clinical symptoms and emotion regulation skills. Results Prior to treatment and compared to controls, patients showed hypoconnectivity within neural networks involved in emotional downregulation while reappraising affect-eliciting pictures as well as viewing neutral and affect-eliciting pictures. Following treatment, connectivity became normalized in these networks comprising regions associated with cognitive control and memory. Additionally, patients showed a treatment-related reduction of negative but not of positive dissociative symptoms. Conclusions This is the first study demonstrating that trauma-focused treatment was associated with favorable changes in neural networks involved in emotional control. Emotional overregulation manifesting as negative dissociative symptoms was reduced but not emotional underregulation, manifesting as positive dissociative symptoms. Trauma-focused treatment normalized networks involved in emotion regulation. Post-treatment patients showed a reduction in clinical symptoms. Negative but not positive dissociative symptoms declined across treatment. Extensive therapy is warranted to overcome complex interpersonal traumatization.
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26
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Lipinska G, Thomas KGF. Rapid eye movement fragmentation, not slow-wave sleep, predicts neutral declarative memory consolidation in posttraumatic stress disorder. J Sleep Res 2019; 28:e12846. [PMID: 30932254 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience disruption at both slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep stages and demonstrate marked memory impairment. A small group of studies suggests that, within the disorder, there is a mechanistic relation between these sleep and memory impairments. This study sought to extend that literature by examining whether, in PTSD-diagnosed individuals, memory-retention deficits are present after a sleep-filled (but not after a wake-filled) delay (i.e., whether memory deficits can be traced to interruptions of sleep-dependent memory consolidation). Moreover, we investigated whether SWS- or REM-based disturbances, or both, contribute to retention deficits. We recruited participants into three groups: PTSD (n = 21), trauma-exposed non-PTSD (TE; n = 19) and healthy control (HC; n = 20). Using a crossover design, we assessed memory recall before and after an 8-hr period of polysomnography-monitored sleep and an 8-hr period of regular waking activity. PTSD-diagnosed participants retained less information than controls over the sleep-filled (but not wake-filled) delay. Furthermore, increased REM fragmentation predicted postsleep memory retention in PTSD-diagnosed individuals only. No SWS parameter was associated with or predictive of the amount of information retained postsleep. We conclude that specific REM-related changes in PTSD-diagnosed individuals affected sleep-dependent neutral declarative memory consolidation. Generally, these findings extend the literature suggesting that the co-occurrence of sleep and memory difficulties in PTSD is not accidental, but that these two symptom clusters are meaningfully related. Specifically, the study illustrates that subtle REM-related disruptions contribute most strongly to memory impairment in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gosia Lipinska
- UCT Sleep Sciences and ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- UCT Sleep Sciences and ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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27
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Dodier O. A bibliometric analysis of the recovered memory controversy in the 21st century. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Dodier
- Laboratoire de psychologie sociale et cognitive; Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS; Clermont-Ferrand France
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28
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Hulbert JC, Anderson MC. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger: Psychological trauma and its relationship to enhanced memory control. J Exp Psychol Gen 2018; 147:1931-1949. [PMID: 30024184 PMCID: PMC6277128 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Control processes engaged in halting the automatic retrieval of unwanted memories have been shown to reduce the later recallability of the targets of suppression. Like other cognitive skills that benefit from practice, we hypothesized that memory control is similarly experience dependent, such that individuals with greater real-life experience at stopping retrieval would exhibit better inhibitory control over unwanted memories. Across two experiments, we found that college students reporting a greater history of trauma exhibited more suppression-induced forgetting of both negative and neutral memories than did those in a matched group who had reported experiencing little to no trauma. The association was especially evident on a test of suppression-induced forgetting involving independent retrieval cues that are designed to better isolate the effects of inhibitory control on memory. Participants reporting more trauma demonstrated greater generalized forgetting of suppressed material. These findings raise the possibility that, given proper training, individuals can learn to better manage intrusive experiences, and are broadly consistent with the view that moderate adversity can foster resilience later in life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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29
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Crawley R, Wilkie S, Gamble J, Creedy DK, Fenwick J, Cockburn N, Ayers S. Characteristics of memories for traumatic and nontraumatic birth. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jenny Gamble
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland; Griffith University; Meadowbrook Queensland Australia
| | - Debra K. Creedy
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland; Griffith University; Meadowbrook Queensland Australia
| | - Jenny Fenwick
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland; Griffith University; Meadowbrook Queensland Australia
| | - Nicola Cockburn
- School of Psychology; University of Sunderland; Sunderland UK
| | - Susan Ayers
- Centre for Maternal and Child Health; City University London; London UK
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30
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Castelfranc-Allen JM, Hope L. Visual communication desensitization (VCD©): a novel two-phased approach to interviewing traumatized individuals in investigative contexts. PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND LAW : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW 2018; 25:589-601. [PMID: 31984040 PMCID: PMC6818249 DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2018.1474814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Investigators are increasingly faced with the challenge of obtaining evidence from witnesses who are distressed or traumatized by war, genocide, human trafficking and/or sexual violence. However, interviewing best practice does not explicitly address interviewees' psychological needs, and therapeutic approaches do not incorporate techniques to obtain accurate, detailed information. This article charts the development of the visual communication desensitization (VCD©) interview procedure, designed to secure accurate accounts rapidly while reducing distress. Originally developed to aid a traumatized victim of violent sexual assault who was unable to provide evidence in court, it comprises a two-part cognitive-behavioural approach to eliciting information from cooperative, traumatized witnesses, consisting of a 'narrative-graph' information-gathering component and a dovetailed therapeutic component. The laboratory findings and applied practice observations suggest that the VCD© interview procedure is beneficial for assisting traumatized interviewees in providing accounts, and thus could potentially support capacity-building in humanitarian response and international investigation contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorraine Hope
- Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK
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31
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Design, rationale and feasibility of a multidimensional experimental protocol to study early life stress. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2018; 7:33-43. [PMID: 29696166 PMCID: PMC5898516 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a rapidly accumulating body of evidence regarding the influential role of early life stress (ELS) upon medical and psychiatric conditions. While self-report instruments, with their intrinsic limitations of recall, remain the primary means of detecting ELS in humans, biological measures are generally limited to a single biological system. This paper describes the design, rationale and feasibility of a study to simultaneously measure neuroendocrine, immune and autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses to psychological and physiological stressors in relation to ELS. Five healthy university students were recruited by advertisement. Exclusion criteria included chronic medical conditions, psychotic disorders, needle phobia, inability to tolerate pain, and those using anti-inflammatory medications. They were clinically interviewed and physiological recordings made over a two-hour period pre, during and post two acute stressors: the cold pressor test and recalling a distressing memory. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Parental Bonding Index were utilised to measure ELS. Other psychological measures of mood and personality were also administered. Measurements of heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, skin conductance, skin blood flow and temporal plasma samples were successfully obtained before, during and after acute stress. Participants reported the extensive psychological and multisystem physiological data collection and stress provocations were tolerable. Most (4/5) participants indicated a willingness to return to repeat the protocol, indicating acceptability. Our protocol is viable and safe in young physically healthy adults and allows us to assess simultaneously neuroendocrine, immune and autonomic nervous system responses to stressors in persons assessed for ELS.
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Key Words
- ANS, Autonomic nervous system
- Adverse-childhood-events
- CPT, Cold pressor test
- CTQ, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire
- Childhood-stress
- Childhood-trauma questionnaire
- DASS, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale
- DS14, Type D Scale
- ECG, lectrocardiogram
- ELS, Early life stress
- EPQRs, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised – short form
- HPA, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
- PBI, Parental Bonding Instrument
- PTSD, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Parental-bonding-instrument
- RDM, Recall of distressing memory
- Type D scale (DS14)
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32
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van der Velden PG, Pijnappel B, van der Meulen E. Potentially traumatic events have negative and positive effects on loneliness, depending on PTSD-symptom levels: evidence from a population-based prospective comparative study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2018; 53:195-206. [PMID: 29288318 PMCID: PMC5816097 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-017-1476-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Examine to what extent adults affected by recent potentially traumatic events (PTE) with different PTSD-symptom levels are more at risk for post-event loneliness than non-affected adults are in the same study period. METHODS We extracted data from the Dutch longitudinal LISS panel to measure pre-event loneliness (2011) and post-event loneliness (2013 and 2014), pre-event mental health problems (2011), PTE and PTSD symptoms (2012). This panel is based on a traditional random sample drawn from the population register by Statistics Netherlands. RESULTS Results of the multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that affected adults with high levels of PTSD symptoms were more at risk for high levels of post-event loneliness than affected adults with very low PTSD-symptom levels and non-affected adults, while controlling for pre-event loneliness, pre-event mental health problems and demographics. However, affected adults with very low levels of PTSD symptoms compared to non-affected adults were less at risk for medium and high levels of post-event loneliness while controlling for the same variables. Yet, pre-event loneliness appeared to be the strongest independent predictor of loneliness at later stages: more than 80% with high pre-event levels had high post-event levels at both follow-ups. CONCLUSIONS Remarkably, potentially traumatic events have depending on PTSD-symptom levels both negative and positive effects on post-event loneliness in favor of affected adults with very low PTSD symptoms levels. However, post-event levels at later stages are predominantly determined by pre-event loneliness levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erik van der Meulen
- INTERVICT, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands
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33
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Patihis L, Place PJ. Weak evidence for increased motivated forgetting of trauma-related words in dissociated or traumatised individuals in a directed forgetting experiment. Memory 2017; 26:619-633. [PMID: 29027871 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2017.1387666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Motivated forgetting is the idea that people can block out, or forget, upsetting or traumatic memories, because there is a motivation to do so. Some researchers have cited directed forgetting studies using trauma-related words as evidence for the theory of motivated forgetting of trauma. In the current article subjects used the list method directed forgetting paradigm with both trauma-related words and positive words. After one list of words was presented subjects were directed to forget the words previously learned, and they then received another list of words. Each list was a mix of positive and trauma-related words, and the lists were counterbalanced. Later, subjects recalled as many of the words as they could, including the ones they were told to forget. Based on the theory that motivated forgetting would lead to recall deficits of trauma-related material, we created eight hypotheses. High dissociators, trauma-exposed, sexual trauma-exposed, and high dissociators with trauma-exposure participants were hypothesised to show enhanced forgetting of trauma words. Results indicated only one of eight hypotheses was supported: those higher on dissociation and trauma recalled fewer trauma words in the to-be-forgotten condition, compared to those low on dissociation and trauma. These results provide weak support for differential motivated forgetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence Patihis
- a Department of Psychology , University of Southern Mississippi , Hattiesburg , MS , USA
| | - Patricia J Place
- b Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of California , Irvine , CA , USA
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34
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van Harmelen AL, Kievit RA, Ioannidis K, Neufeld S, Jones PB, Bullmore E, Dolan R, Fonagy P, Goodyer I. Adolescent friendships predict later resilient functioning across psychosocial domains in a healthy community cohort. Psychol Med 2017; 47:2312-2322. [PMID: 28397612 PMCID: PMC5820532 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291717000836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a key time period for the emergence of psychosocial and mental health difficulties. To promote adolescent adaptive ('resilient') psychosocial functioning (PSF), appropriate conceptualisation and quantification of such functioning and its predictors is a crucial first step. Here, we quantify resilient functioning as the degree to which an individual functions better or worse than expected given their self-reported childhood family experiences, and relate this to adolescent family and friendship support. METHOD We used Principal Component and regression analyses to investigate the relationship between childhood family experiences and PSF (psychiatric symptomatology, personality traits and mental wellbeing) in healthy adolescents (the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network; N = 2389; ages 14-24). Residuals from the relation between childhood family experiences and PSF reflect resilient functioning; the degree to which an individual is functioning better, or worse, than expected given their childhood family experiences. Next, we relate family and friendship support with resilient functioning both cross-sectionally and 1 year later. RESULTS Friendship and family support were positive predictors of immediate resilient PSF, with friendship support being the strongest predictor. However, whereas friendship support was a significant positive predictor of later resilient functioning, family support had a negative relationship with later resilient PSF. CONCLUSIONS We show that friendship support, but not family support, is an important positive predictor of both immediate and later resilient PSF in adolescence and early adulthood. Interventions that promote the skills needed to acquire and sustain adolescent friendships may be crucial in increasing adolescent resilient PSF.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R. A. Kievit
- Medical Research Council,
Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit,
Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome trust Center for Neuroimaging, University
College London, London, UK
| | - K. Ioannidis
- Department of Psychiatry,
University of Cambridge, Cambridge,
UK
| | - S. Neufeld
- Department of Psychiatry,
University of Cambridge, Cambridge,
UK
| | - P. B. Jones
- Department of Psychiatry,
University of Cambridge, Cambridge,
UK
| | - E. Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry,
University of Cambridge, Cambridge,
UK
| | - R. Dolan
- Wellcome trust Center for Neuroimaging, University
College London, London, UK
| | - The NSPN Consortium
- Department of Psychiatry,
University of Cambridge, Cambridge,
UK
- Wellcome trust Center for Neuroimaging, University
College London, London, UK
| | - P. Fonagy
- Department of Clinical,
Educational and Health Psychology, University College
London, London, UK
| | - I. Goodyer
- Department of Psychiatry,
University of Cambridge, Cambridge,
UK
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35
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Verbal memory functioning moderates psychotherapy treatment response for PTSD-Related nightmares. Behav Res Ther 2017; 91:24-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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36
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Wittekind CE, Jelinek L, Kleim B, Muhtz C, Moritz S, Berna F. Age effect on autobiographical memory specificity: A study on autobiographical memory specificity in elderly survivors of childhood trauma. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2017; 54:247-253. [PMID: 27685852 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is accompanied by altered autobiographical memories (AM) of the traumatic incident itself as well as of non-trauma-related events. Several studies have shown that trauma-exposed individuals developing PTSD have a reduced capacity to access specific past events that are not related to the traumatic event compared to those who do not develop PTSD. However, one study including a group of elderly adults did not find significant differences in AM between PTSD and non-PTSD participants. The present study investigated whether PTSD is associated with impaired AM of trauma-related and non-trauma-related memories in the elderly. METHOD Forty-four elderly participants, displaced during childhood from former German territories after the end of World War II (WWII), were examined. This group comprised 19 participants with and 25 participants without PTSD. These participants were compared to 23 non-traumatized non-displaced elderly participants. RESULTS PTSD, non-PTSD and non-traumatized participants do not differ significantly in their ability to recall specific memories of their past. Moreover, participants with PTSD did not recall more trauma-related memories than non-PTSD participants. LIMITATIONS The traumatized participants reached for assessment might represent the most resilient individuals, which might constrain generalizability of our results to other trauma populations. CONCLUSIONS This study confirms preliminary evidence that PTSD is not associated with AM impairment in the elderly. We suggest that aging may alter the relationship between trauma and AM impairment in traumatized participants with PTSD, which need to be confirmed by longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E Wittekind
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistr. 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lena Jelinek
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistr. 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Birgit Kleim
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Muhtz
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and Schoen Klinik Hamburg-Eilbek, Martinistr. 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Moritz
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistr. 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fabrice Berna
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistr. 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.
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Fernández-Lansac V, Crespo M. Quality of Memories in Women Abused by Their Intimate Partner: Analysis of Traumatic and Nontraumatic Narratives. J Trauma Stress 2017; 30:80-87. [PMID: 28099757 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Traditional models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claim that the high emotional intensity of traumatic events leads to deficits in the voluntary access of traumatic memories. This may result in disorganized narratives, with a high sense of emotional and sensory reliving. Alternatively, the basic mechanisms view suggests that high arousal leads to more available involuntary and voluntary memories. Traumatic narratives would not be impaired; indeed, they would be immersive and rich in detail. To test this perspective, this study compared the trauma narratives of 50 battered women (trauma-exposed group) with narratives about positive experiences and narratives of 50 nonexposed women (controls), and analyzed the relationship between trauma narrative aspects and the severity of PTSD. Results showed that trauma narratives were detailed, oriented, and coherent. Affective process words and emotional tone were related to trauma centrality and anxiety during disclosure, and predicted the severity of PTSD (R2 = .26). These variables, together with the use of present tense verbs, accounted for a significant variance in intrusions (R2 = .34). As hypothesized, narrative aspects related to a sense of reliving and narrative immersion were better predictors of PTSD than aspects reflecting impaired access to voluntary traumatic memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María Crespo
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
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van der Velden PG, Bosmans MWG, van der Meulen E, Vermunt JK. Pre-event trajectories of mental health and health-related disabilities, and post-event traumatic stress symptoms and health: A 7-wave population-based study. Psychiatry Res 2016; 246:466-473. [PMID: 27792976 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
It is unknown to what extent classes of trajectories of pre-event mental health problems (MHP) and health-related disabilities (HRD), predict post-event traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), MHP and HRD. Aim of the present 7-wave study was to assess the predictive values using a representative sample of adult Dutch (N=4052) participating in three health-surveys in November-December 2009 (T1), 2010 (T2), 2011 (T3). In total, 2988 out of 4052 also participated in trauma-surveys in April(T4), August(T5) and December(T6) 2012 and a fourth health-survey in November-December 2012 (T7). About 10% (N=314) was confronted with potentially traumatic events (PTE) in the 4 months before T4 or T5. Latent class analyses among 4052 respondents identified four classes of pre-event MHP and HRD. Series of multivariate logistic regression analyses with class membership, peri-traumatic stress, type of event, gender, age and education as predictors, showed that classes with high levels of MHP or HRD, were more at risk for high levels of PTSS at baseline and follow-ups at 4 and 8 months, than classes with low levels of MHP or HRD. These classes were very strong predictors for high levels of post-event MHP and HRD: no differences were found between non-affected and affected respondents with different levels of peri-traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jeroen K Vermunt
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
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Kleim B, Wysokowsky J, Schmid N, Seifritz E, Rasch B. Effects of Sleep after Experimental Trauma on Intrusive Emotional Memories. Sleep 2016; 39:2125-2132. [PMID: 27748249 DOI: 10.5665/sleep.6310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES To investigate sleep's effect in the immediate aftermath of experiencing an analog trauma in the laboratory on reducing intrusive emotional memory formation. METHODS Sixty-five healthy women were exposed to an experimental laboratory trauma. They viewed a neutral and a trauma film in the laboratory and were randomly allocated to either a group that slept following film viewing or a group that remained awake. Sleep was recorded with electroencephalogram in a subgroup of participants in the sleep group. All participants recorded intrusive memories in the week following the film. RESULTS The sleep group experienced fewer and less distressing intrusive trauma memories compared to the wake group. These effects were particularly evident toward the end of the week. Duration spent in stage N2 as opposed to light N1 sleep, a higher number of fast parietal sleep spindles and a lower rapid eye movement sleep density predicted intrusion frequency. CONCLUSIONS Our results have clinical implications and set the ground for early-intervention sleep studies following trauma and prevention of chronic posttrauma disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Kleim
- Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich
| | - Julia Wysokowsky
- Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nuria Schmid
- Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich
| | - Björn Rasch
- Division of Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
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Rigoli MM, Silva GR, Oliveira FRD, Pergher GK, Kristensen CH. The role of memory in posttraumatic stress disorder: implications for clinical practice. TRENDS IN PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY 2016; 38:119-127. [PMID: 27355891 DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2014-0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent disorder with important social consequences. Several models have been developed with the aim of understanding the mechanisms underlying its symptoms. Intrusions are idiosyncratic symptoms that commonly take the form of involuntary recollection of images or flashbacks about the traumatic event. OBJECTIVE To review how memory is conceptualized in each of these models and the implications for clinical practice. METHODS A narrative review of the literature was conducted through analysis of the perspectives of memory in theoretical models of PTSD. RESULTS Two main perspectives were identified: 1) models in which specific mechanisms of memory for processing traumatic events are proposed, especially those based on clinical studies, and 2) models in which common mnemonic mechanisms are utilized to explain the phenomenon, primarily based on basic experimental research studies investigating memory. The different theories based on these approaches have led to distinct psychotherapy interventions. CONCLUSION In order to clarify these discrepancies, future research should aim for the methodological rigor of experimental studies, while maintaining the ecological applicability of findings. Cognitive experimental psychopathology is therefore an area on which research funding should be focused. Such studies could elucidate the role of mnemonic aspects in PTSD and how they impact psychological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Montagner Rigoli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Escola de Humanidades, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Ramos Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Escola de Humanidades, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fernando Rainho de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Escola de Humanidades, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Christian Haag Kristensen
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Escola de Humanidades, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Sotgiu I. How Do We Remember Happy Life Events? A Comparison Between Eudaimonic and Hedonic Autobiographical Memories. THE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 150:685-703. [PMID: 27043474 DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2016.1162764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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van Ee E, Kleber RJ, Jongmans MJ. Relational Patterns Between Caregivers With PTSD and Their Nonexposed Children: A Review. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2016; 17:186-203. [PMID: 25964276 DOI: 10.1177/1524838015584355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The question as to whether or not children can be affected by the traumatization of their parents has been the topic of a long-standing debate. This article provides a critical review of 72 research studies on traumatized parents with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the parent-child interaction, and the impact on their nonexposed child (0-18 years). The evidence suggests that traumatization can cause parenting limitations, and these limitations can disrupt the development of the young child. From the studies reviewed several patterns emerged: Relational patterns of traumatized parents who are observed to be emotionally less available and who perceive their children more negatively than parents without symptoms of PTSD; relational patterns of children who at a young age are easily deregulated or distressed and at an older age are reported to face more difficulties in their psychosocial development than children of parents without symptoms of PTSD; and relational patterns that show remarkable similarities to relational patterns between depressed or anxious parents and their children. Mechanisms such as mentalization, attachment, physiological factors, and the cycle of abuse offer a valuable perspective to further our understanding of the relational patterns. This article builds on previous work by discussing the emerged patterns between traumatized parents and their nonexposed children from a relational and transactional perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa van Ee
- Reinier van Arkel, Psychotraumacentrum Zuid Nederland, Den Bosch, the Netherlands
| | - Rolf J Kleber
- Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Berkers RMWJ, Klumpers F, Fernández G. Medial prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity during emotional memory encoding predicts individual differences in the loss of associative memory specificity. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 134 Pt A:44-54. [PMID: 26868478 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Emotionally charged items are often remembered better, whereas a paradoxical loss of specificity is found for associative emotional information (specific memory). The balance between specific and generalized emotional memories appears to show large individual differences, potentially related to differences in (the risk for) affective disorders that are characterized by 'overgeneralized' emotional memories. Here, we investigate the neural underpinnings of individual differences in emotional associative memory. A large group of healthy male participants were scanned while encoding associations of face-photographs and written occupational identities that were of either neutral ('driver') or negative ('murderer') valence. Subsequently, memory was tested by prompting participants to retrieve the occupational identities corresponding to each face. Whereas in both valence categories a similar amount of faces was labeled correctly with 'neutral' and 'negative' identities, (gist memory), specific associations were found to be less accurately remembered when the occupational identity was negative compared to neutral (specific memory). This pattern of results suggests reduced memory specificity for associations containing a negatively valenced component. The encoding of these negative associations was paired with a selective increase in medial prefrontal cortex activity and medial prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity. Individual differences in valence-specific neural connectivity were predictive of valence-specific reduction of memory specificity. The relationship between loss of emotional memory specificity and medial prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity is in line with the hypothesized role of a medial prefrontal-hippocampal circuit in regulating memory specificity, and warrants further investigations in individuals displaying 'overgeneralized' emotional memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruud M W J Berkers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Domoney J, Howard LM, Abas M, Broadbent M, Oram S. Mental health service responses to human trafficking: a qualitative study of professionals' experiences of providing care. BMC Psychiatry 2015; 15:289. [PMID: 26576640 PMCID: PMC4650496 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-015-0679-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human trafficking is a global crime and human rights violation. Although research has demonstrated a high prevalence of mental disorder among trafficked people and that trafficked people are in contact with mental health services, little is known about mental health professionals' experiences of identifying and providing care for trafficked people. This study aimed to understand how people are identified as trafficked within mental health services and the challenges professionals experience in responding to trafficked people's mental health needs. METHOD Qualitative study of electronic health records of trafficked people in contact with secondary mental health services in South East London, England. Comprehensive clinical electronic health records for over 200,000 patients in contact with secondary mental health services in South London were searched and retrieved to identify trafficked patients. Content analysis was used to establish how people were identified as trafficked, and thematic analysis was used to explore the challenges experienced in responding to mental health needs. RESULTS The sample included 130 trafficked patients, 95 adults and 35 children. In 43 % (41/95) of adult cases and 63 % (22/35) child cases, mental health professionals were informed that their patient was a potential victim of trafficking by another service involved in their patient's care. Cases were also identified through patients disclosing their experiences of exploitation and abuse. Key challenges faced by staff included social and legal instability, difficulties ascertaining history, patients' lack of engagement, availability of services, and inter-agency working. CONCLUSIONS Training to increase awareness, encourage helpful responses, and inform staff about the available support options would help to ensure the mental health needs of trafficked people are met. Further research is needed to establish if these challenges are similar in other health settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Domoney
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
| | - Louise M. Howard
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF United Kingdom
| | - Melanie Abas
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
| | - Matthew Broadbent
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Sian Oram
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
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Cherry KE, Sampson L, Nezat PF, Cacamo A, Marks LD, Galea S. Long-term psychological outcomes in older adults after disaster: relationships to religiosity and social support. Aging Ment Health 2015; 19:430-43. [PMID: 25078872 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2014.941325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Natural disasters are associated with catastrophic losses. Disaster survivors return to devastated communities and rebuild homes or relocate permanently, although the long-term psychological consequences are not well understood. The authors examined predictors of psychological outcomes in 219 residents of disaster-affected communities in south Louisiana. METHOD Current coastal residents with severe property damage from the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and exposure to the 2010 British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil spill were compared and contrasted with former coastal residents and an indirectly affected control group. Participants completed measures of storm exposure and stressors, religiosity, perceived social support, and mental health. RESULTS Non-organizational religiosity was a significant predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Follow-up analyses revealed that more frequent participation in non-organizational religious behaviors was associated with a heightened risk of PTSD. Low income and being a coastal fisher were significant predictors of depression symptoms in bivariate and multivariate models. Perceived social support had a protective effect for all mental health outcomes, which also held for symptoms of depression and GAD in multivariate models. CONCLUSION People who experienced recent and severe trauma related to natural and technological disasters are at risk for adverse psychological outcomes in the years after these events. Individuals with low income, low social support, and high levels of non-organizational religiosity are also at greater risk. Implications of these data for current views on the post-disaster psychological reactions and the development of age-sensitive interventions to promote long-term recovery are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E Cherry
- a Department of Psychology , Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge , LA , USA
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Gill PE, Larsson P. Incident-level analysis of 703 retrospective self-reports of ordinary violence recalled by 334 Swedes aged 6 to 45 years. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2015; 30:2129-2150. [PMID: 25304671 DOI: 10.1177/0886260514552270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
There is wide variation in how exposure to violence is conceptualized. Perceptions of ordinary violence are linked to people's actual experiences, which may be direct, indirect, observed, or vicarious, and all through filters of gender, class, community, and culture. Event-recall interviews were conducted among a convenience sample of Swedish males (n = 132) and females (n = 202) aged 6 to 45 years. Respondents spontaneously recalled 703 events (averaging 2.3 events for males, 2.1 for females). For men, 93% of events were male(s)-on-male(s), 2% female-on-female, and 2% male(s)-on-female(s). For women, 42% of events were male(s)-on-male(s), 19% female(s)-on-female(s), 24% male(s)-on-females, and 10% female(s)-on-male(s). Interviewee's roles differed. Of males, 17% were aggressors, 40% victims, and 43% observers. Of females, 12% were aggressors, 30% victims, and 58% observers. For males, there was a significant increase in degree of seriousness of events from junior-, to high school, to college. For females, events became more serious as interviewees progressed from aggressor to victim to observer. For males, violent events between strangers were significantly more serious than all other combinations of acquaintanceship. Most recently recalled events were the most serious for males (no effect for females). Participation in sports was linked to seriousness of events recalled by females, events being described as more serious by females who participated in sports, this effect being stronger for those females who participated in contact/collision and self-defense sports. The significant correlation between trauma and seriousness is nearly twice as strong for females which might be taken as an indication of stronger moral pathos.
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Palombo DJ, McKinnon MC, McIntosh AR, Anderson AK, Todd RM, Levine B. The neural correlates of memory for a life-threatening event: An fMRI study of passengers from flight AT236. Clin Psychol Sci 2015; 4:312-319. [PMID: 27158567 DOI: 10.1177/2167702615589308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the neural correlates of remote traumatic reexperiencing in survivors of a life-threatening incident: the near crash of Air Transat (AT) Flight 236. Survivors' brain activity was monitored during video-cued recollection of the AT disaster, September 11th, 2001 (9/11), and a comparatively non-emotional (neutral) event. Passengers showed a robust memory enhancement effect for the AT incident relative to the 9/11 and neutral events. This traumatic memory enhancement was associated with activation in the amygdala, medial temporal lobe, anterior and posterior midline, and visual cortex in passengers. This brain-behavior relationship also held in relation to 9/11, which had elevated significance for passengers given its temporal proximity to the AT disaster. This pattern was not observed in a comparison group of non-traumatized individuals who were also scanned. These findings suggest that remote, traumatic memory is mediated by amygdalar activity, which likely enhances vividness via influences on hippocampal and ventral visual systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela J Palombo
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University; Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton; Homewood Research Institute
| | - Anthony R McIntosh
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
| | | | - Rebecca M Todd
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
| | - Brian Levine
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto; Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto
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Scott JC, Matt GE, Wrocklage KM, Crnich C, Jordan J, Southwick SM, Krystal JH, Schweinsburg BC. A quantitative meta-analysis of neurocognitive functioning in posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychol Bull 2015. [PMID: 25365762 DOI: 10.1037/a00389039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with regional alterations in brain structure and function that are hypothesized to contribute to symptoms and cognitive deficits associated with the disorder. We present here the first systematic meta-analysis of neurocognitive outcomes associated with PTSD to examine a broad range of cognitive domains and describe the profile of cognitive deficits, as well as modifying clinical factors and study characteristics. This report is based on data from 60 studies totaling 4,108 participants, including 1,779 with PTSD, 1,446 trauma-exposed comparison participants, and 895 healthy comparison participants without trauma exposure. Effect-size estimates were calculated using a mixed-effects meta-analysis for 9 cognitive domains: attention/working memory, executive functions, verbal learning, verbal memory, visual learning, visual memory, language, speed of information processing, and visuospatial abilities. Analyses revealed significant neurocognitive effects associated with PTSD, although these ranged widely in magnitude, with the largest effect sizes in verbal learning (d = -.62), speed of information processing (d = -.59), attention/working memory (d = -.50), and verbal memory (d =-.46). Effect-size estimates were significantly larger in treatment-seeking than community samples and in studies that did not exclude participants with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and effect sizes were affected by between-group IQ discrepancies and the gender composition of the PTSD groups. Our findings indicate that consideration of neuropsychological functioning in attention, verbal memory, and speed of information processing may have important implications for the effective clinical management of persons with PTSD. Results are further discussed in the context of cognitive models of PTSD and the limitations of this literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Cobb Scott
- VISN4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Philadelphia VA Medical Center
| | - Georg E Matt
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University
| | | | | | - Jessica Jordan
- National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System
| | | | - John H Krystal
- National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System
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Manzanero AL, López B, Aróztegui J, El-Astal S. Autobiographical memories for negative and positive events in war contexts. ANUARIO DE PSICOLOGÍA JURÍDICA 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apj.2015.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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50
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Scott JC, Matt GE, Wrocklage KM, Crnich C, Jordan J, Southwick SM, Krystal JH, Schweinsburg BC. A quantitative meta-analysis of neurocognitive functioning in posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychol Bull 2015; 141:105-140. [PMID: 25365762 PMCID: PMC4293317 DOI: 10.1037/a0038039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 313] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with regional alterations in brain structure and function that are hypothesized to contribute to symptoms and cognitive deficits associated with the disorder. We present here the first systematic meta-analysis of neurocognitive outcomes associated with PTSD to examine a broad range of cognitive domains and describe the profile of cognitive deficits, as well as modifying clinical factors and study characteristics. This report is based on data from 60 studies totaling 4,108 participants, including 1,779 with PTSD, 1,446 trauma-exposed comparison participants, and 895 healthy comparison participants without trauma exposure. Effect-size estimates were calculated using a mixed-effects meta-analysis for 9 cognitive domains: attention/working memory, executive functions, verbal learning, verbal memory, visual learning, visual memory, language, speed of information processing, and visuospatial abilities. Analyses revealed significant neurocognitive effects associated with PTSD, although these ranged widely in magnitude, with the largest effect sizes in verbal learning (d = -.62), speed of information processing (d = -.59), attention/working memory (d = -.50), and verbal memory (d =-.46). Effect-size estimates were significantly larger in treatment-seeking than community samples and in studies that did not exclude participants with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and effect sizes were affected by between-group IQ discrepancies and the gender composition of the PTSD groups. Our findings indicate that consideration of neuropsychological functioning in attention, verbal memory, and speed of information processing may have important implications for the effective clinical management of persons with PTSD. Results are further discussed in the context of cognitive models of PTSD and the limitations of this literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Cobb Scott
- VISN4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Georg E. Matt
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | | | | | - Jessica Jordan
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Steven M. Southwick
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - John H. Krystal
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
- Psychiatry Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Brian C. Schweinsburg
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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