1
|
Jobson L, McAvoy D, Ahmadi SJ. Psychological Problems in the Context of Political Violence in Afghan Children. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2024; 26:222-228. [PMID: 38564145 PMCID: PMC11081985 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-024-01496-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review provides an overview of recent literature examining psychological problems in the context of political violence among Afghan children. RECENT FINDINGS Using recent literature (2018-2023) we identified: 1) heightened levels of psychological problems experienced by children in Afghanistan; 2) the factors associated with these psychological problems, including loss of family and community members, poverty, continuous risk of injury and death, gender, substance use, war, daily stressors, and poor access to education; 3) psychological problems have potentially worsened since the 2021 political changes; 4) conflict and poverty have resulted in violence against children being a serious issue; 5) emerging psychological interventions have been adapted to Afghan contexts; and 6) there is a desperate need for psychological assistance and further research in the region. All children in Afghanistan have experienced conflict and political violence. While children are not responsible for this conflict, it has impacted their mental health. Further research is needed to examine the development and evaluation of interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jobson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Daniel McAvoy
- Centre for Humanitarian Leadership, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Borrelli G, Lamberti Zanardi A, Scognamiglio C, Cinquegrana V, Perrella R. The relationship between childhood interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma and autobiographical memory: a systematic review. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1328835. [PMID: 38298520 PMCID: PMC10827865 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1328835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Childhood trauma can have negative effects on several domains of mental functioning, including Autobiographical Memory (AM). Conflicting results emerge in the scientific literature regarding the effects of childhood trauma on AM. In this review, we explored the relationship between the childhood trauma and AM, classifying childhood trauma as interpersonal, non-interpersonal and overall (interpersonal and non-interpersonal). We carried out a systematic literature review, following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA statement). From searching the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, we identified 48 studies conducted from 2014 to 2023, which were included when they: (a) were written in English, (b) investigated the relationship between AM and childhood trauma, (c) included a sample of children, adolescents, or adults who had experienced childhood interpersonal and/or non-interpersonal trauma. Of the 48 eligible studies, 29 referred to trauma of an interpersonal nature, 12 to trauma of a non-interpersonal nature, and 7 to overall trauma. Regarding the relationship between childhood trauma and AM, 24 studies found a negative relationship between childhood interpersonal trauma and AM; among the articles on non-interpersonal trauma, 10 studies found no relevant relationship; in the studies on overall trauma, 4 articles found negative relationship between overall trauma and AM. The literature explored in our systematic review supports the prevalence of a negative relationship between interpersonal childhood trauma and AM. This relationship is present regardless of psychiatric disorders (e.g., Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Personality Disorders), and in the presence of the latter, AM results even more fragmented. Future research should use more accurate methodologies in identifying and classifying childhood trauma in order to more precisely determine its effect on AM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Borrelli
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Vincenza Cinquegrana
- Department of Psychology, University of Study of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Raffaella Perrella
- Department of Psychology, University of Study of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Etami Y, Lildharrie C, Manza P, Wang GJ, Volkow ND. Neuroimaging in Adolescents: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Risk for Substance Use Disorders. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2113. [PMID: 38136935 PMCID: PMC10743116 DOI: 10.3390/genes14122113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Trauma in childhood and adolescence has long-term negative consequences in brain development and behavior and increases the risk for psychiatric disorders. Among them, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during adolescence illustrates the connection between trauma and substance misuse, as adolescents may utilize substances to cope with PTSD. Drug misuse may in turn lead to neuroadaptations in learning processes that facilitate the consolidation of traumatic memories that perpetuate PTSD. This reflects, apart from common genetic and epigenetic modifications, overlapping neurocircuitry engagement triggered by stress and drug misuse that includes structural and functional changes in limbic brain regions and the salience, default-mode, and frontoparietal networks. Effective strategies to prevent PTSD are needed to limit the negative consequences associated with the later development of a substance use disorder (SUD). In this review, we will examine the link between PTSD and SUDs, along with the resulting effects on memory, focusing on the connection between the development of an SUD in individuals who struggled with PTSD in adolescence. Neuroimaging has emerged as a powerful tool to provide insight into the brain mechanisms underlying the connection of PTSD in adolescence and the development of SUDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gene-Jack Wang
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Y.E.); (C.L.); (P.M.); (N.D.V.)
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Preko T, Edler K, Behrens B, Valentino K. A Meta-Analysis of the Influence of Cue Valence on Overgeneral Memory and Autobiographical Memory Specificity Among Youth. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1683-1698. [PMID: 37466746 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01099-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Overgeneral memory (OGM), or difficulty recalling specific memories when recounting autobiographical events, is associated with psychopathology. According to functional avoidance theory, OGM-or reduced autobiographical memory specificity (AMS)-may serve as an emotion regulation strategy that aids in the avoidance of painful, negative memories (Sumner, 2012; Williams et al., 2007). Some researchers argue that there may be a valence effect for OGM, such that there is a higher frequency of overgenerality when recalling negative memories compared to positive memories. Although not supported among adults, valence effects may be present among children and adolescents if OGM initially develops in response to negative cues and then generalizes to all memory recall over time. This meta-analysis examined differences in child and adolescent OGM and AMS based on cue valance; standardized mean differences between negative and positive valence cues for OGM and AMS indices were calculated. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search resulted in 26 studies assessing OGM and 30 assessing AMS. There was a significant effect of valence on OGM (d = 0.17, p = 0.01) and AMS (d = -0.20, p = 0.01). There was a higher frequency of overgeneral responses to negative cue words than positive cue words. Similarly, there was a higher frequency of specific responses for positive cue words than negative cue words. Subgroup analyses considering differences in valence effects by participant age (childhood vs. adolescence), sample type (clinical vs. community), and task instructions (verbal vs. written) were not significant. Theoretical advancements for our understanding of OGM and AMS and clinical implications are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Preko
- Department of Psychology, Corbett Family Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Katherine Edler
- Department of Psychology, Corbett Family Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Brigid Behrens
- Department of Psychology, Corbett Family Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Kristin Valentino
- Department of Psychology, Corbett Family Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Warne N, Collishaw S, Rice F. Examining the relationship between stressful life events and overgeneral autobiographical memory in adolescents at high familial risk of depression. Memory 2019; 27:314-327. [PMID: 30124107 PMCID: PMC6343111 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1508591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Difficulty remembering specific events from the personal past, known as overgeneral autobiographical memory (AM), may be a marker of vulnerability to adolescent depression but little is known about how overgeneral AM arises in this age group. Stressful life events (SLEs) are strongly implicated in the onset of depression and are considered important in theoretical work on AM. We investigated whether exposure to lifetime and recent SLEs contributed to the development of overgeneral AM in a sample of adolescents at high familial risk of depression (n = 257) and examined the effects of gender and memory valence. Whether AM mediated the relationship between SLEs and MDD was also assessed. Exposure to a higher number of lifetime SLEs was associated with an increase in specific AMs. Associations of recent SLEs with AM differed by gender. For girls, more recent SLEs were associated with more overgeneral AMs. For boys, more recent SLEs were associated with fewer overgeneral AMs and more specific AMs. AM did not mediate the relationship between SLEs and subsequent DSM-IV depressive symptom count. Results suggest a complex relationship between AM and SLEs and that overgeneral AM and SLEs may have independent effects on future depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Warne
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Stephan Collishaw
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Frances Rice
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Farina FR, Barry TJ, Damme I, Hie T, Raes F. Depression diagnoses, but not individual differences in depression symptoms, are associated with reduced autobiographical memory specificity. BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 58:173-186. [DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom J. Barry
- The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
- The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience King's College London UK
| | - Ilse Damme
- University of Hasselt Belgium
- University of Leuven Belgium
| | - Thijs Hie
- University of Leuven Belgium
- Centre for Mental Health Haacht Belgium
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Fisk J, Ellis JA, Reynolds SA. A test of the CaR-FA-X mechanisms and depression in adolescents. Memory 2018; 27:455-464. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1518457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeni Fisk
- School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Judi A. Ellis
- School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Shirley A. Reynolds
- School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Leahy F, Ridout N, Holland C. Memory flexibility training for autobiographical memory as an intervention for maintaining social and mental well-being in older adults. Memory 2018; 26:1310-1322. [PMID: 29733760 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1464582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) reduces with increasing age and is associated with depression, social problem-solving and functional limitations. However, ability to switch between general and specific, as well as between positive and negative retrieval, may be more important for the strategic use of autobiographical information in everyday life. Ability to switch between retrieval modes is likely to rely on aspects of executive function. We propose that age-related deficits in cognitive flexibility impair AMS, but the "positivity effect" protects positively valenced memories from impaired specificity. A training programme to improve the ability to flexibly retrieve different types of memories in depressed adults (MemFlex) was examined in non-depressed older adults to determine effects on AMS, valence and the executive functions underlying cognitive flexibility. Thirty-nine participants aged 70+ (MemFlex, n = 20; control, n = 19) took part. AMS and the inhibition aspect of executive function improved in both groups, suggesting these abilities are amenable to change, although not differentially affected by this type of training. Lower baseline inhibition scores correlated with increased negative, but not positive AMS, suggesting that positive AMS is an automatic process in older adults. Changes in AMS correlated with changes in social problem-solving, emphasising the usefulness of AMs in a social environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Leahy
- a Department of Psychology, School of Life and Health Sciences , Aston University , Birmingham , UK
| | - Nathan Ridout
- a Department of Psychology, School of Life and Health Sciences , Aston University , Birmingham , UK
| | - Carol Holland
- b Centre for Ageing Research, Division of Health Research , Lancaster University , Lancaster , UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Barry TJ, Lenaert B, Hermans D, Raes F, Griffith JW. Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Autobiographical Memory Specificity and Exposure to Trauma. J Trauma Stress 2018. [PMID: 29513912 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive models of emotional disorders suggest that reduced autobiographical memory specificity that results from exposure to traumatic events may play an important role in the aetiology and maintenance of these disorders. However, there has yet to be a comprehensive meta-analysis of the association between trauma exposure and memory specificity, and the role of posttraumatic stress symptoms on this association. We searched PsycINFO and MEDLINE databases and extracted data from studies regarding the mean number or proportion of specific memories that participants with and without trauma exposure recalled on the Autobiographical Memory Test. We also extracted data on differences between groups in terms of posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms, along with data on trauma timing and participants' ages at the time of assessment. The effect size of memory specificity between participants with and without exposure to trauma was large, d = 0.77, and differed significantly from zero, p < .001. In metaregression, trauma timing was a significant predictor of the heterogeneity in trauma-exposure specificity effect sizes, but posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms were not. Compromised memory specificity represents an important cognitive consequence of trauma exposure that might have an important influence on risk for, and maintenance of, subsequent emotional pathologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom J Barry
- Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bert Lenaert
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Netherlands
| | - Dirk Hermans
- Centre for Learning Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Filip Raes
- Centre for Learning Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - James W Griffith
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Leahy F, Ridout N, Mushtaq F, Holland C. Improving specific autobiographical memory in older adults: impacts on mood, social problem solving, and functional limitations. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2017; 25:695-723. [PMID: 28825508 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2017.1365815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Older adults have difficulty recalling specific autobiographical events. This over-general memory style is a vulnerability factor for depression. Two groups receiving interventions that have previously been successful at reducing over-general memory in depressed populations were compared to a control group. Participants were healthy older adults aged ≥70 years: memory specificity training (MEST; n = 22), life review (n = 22), and control group (n = 22). There were significant improvements in autobiographical memory specificity in the MEST and life review groups at post-training, relative to the control group, suggesting that over-general memory can be reduced in older adults. Change in social problem solving ability and functional limitations were related to change in autobiographical memory specificity, supporting the suggested role of specific retrieval in generating solutions to social problems and maintaining independence. Qualitative analysis of participants' feedback revealed that life review may be more appropriate for older adults, possibly because it involves integrating specific memories into a positive narrative.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Leahy
- a School of Life and Health Sciences , Aston University , Birmingham , UK
| | - Nathan Ridout
- a School of Life and Health Sciences , Aston University , Birmingham , UK
| | - Faizah Mushtaq
- b National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.,c Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK
| | - Carol Holland
- a School of Life and Health Sciences , Aston University , Birmingham , UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Stewart TM, Hunter SC, Rhodes SM. A narrative synthesis of the applicability of the CaR–FA–X model in child and adolescent populations: a systematic review. Memory 2017; 25:1161-1190. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2016.1275699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tracy M. Stewart
- School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Simon C. Hunter
- School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Sinéad M. Rhodes
- School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Harris LS, Block SD, Ogle CM, Goodman GS, Augusti EM, Larson RP, Culver MA, Pineda AR, Timmer SG, Urquiza A. Coping style and memory specificity in adolescents and adults with histories of child sexual abuse. Memory 2015; 24:1078-90. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2015.1068812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
13
|
Eisma MC, Schut HAW, Stroebe MS, Voerman K, van den Bout J, Stroebe W, Boelen PA. Psychopathology Symptoms, Rumination and Autobiographical Memory Specificity: Do Associations Hold After Bereavement? APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maarten C. Eisma
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology; Utrecht University; Netherlands
| | - Henk A. W. Schut
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology; Utrecht University; Netherlands
| | - Margaret S. Stroebe
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology; Utrecht University; Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology; University of Groningen; Netherlands
| | - Kim Voerman
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology; Utrecht University; Netherlands
| | - Jan van den Bout
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology; Utrecht University; Netherlands
| | - Wolfgang Stroebe
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology; Utrecht University; Netherlands
- Department of Social Psychology; University of Groningen; Netherlands
| | - Paul A. Boelen
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology; Utrecht University; Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yule W, Dyregrov A, Raundalen M, Smith P. Children and war: the work of the Children and War Foundation. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2013; 4:18424. [PMID: 23330058 PMCID: PMC3547281 DOI: 10.3402/ejpt.v4i0.18424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2012] [Revised: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Children and War Foundation was established after the authors' experiences following the civil war in former Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s. Many organizations tried to mitigate the effects of the war on children but few interventions were based on evidence and fewer were properly evaluated. The Foundation was established in Norway with the aim of promoting better evidence-based interventions to help children after wars and natural disasters.The Foundation has developed a number of empirically grounded manuals that aim to help children learn strategies that will lessen the stress reactions that they have developed. The manuals are designed to be delivered by personnel who are not necessarily very experienced in child mental health. They are aimed at groups of children using a public health approach to reach large numbers in a short space of time. The strategies are not intended as individual therapy.The Teaching Recovery Techniques manual has been used following a number of earthquakes and other natural disasters and data from a number of these will be discussed. A Writing for Recovery manual is aimed at helping adolescents and is based on the seminal work of James Pennebaker. It is currently being evaluated in three separate studies. A group-based manual to help children bereaved by war or disaster has recently been developed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William Yule
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Atle Dyregrov
- Center for Crisis Psychology, Fortunen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Patrick Smith
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|