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Randomized Trial on the Effects of a Group EMDR Intervention on Narrative Complexity and Specificity of Autobiographical Memories: A Path Analytic and Supervised Machine-Learning Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19137684. [PMID: 35805348 PMCID: PMC9265795 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Narratives of autobiographical memories may be impaired by adverse childhood experiences, generating narrative fragmentation and increased levels of perceived distress. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) proved to be an effective treatment to overcome traumatic experiences and to promote coherent autobiographical narratives. However, the specific mechanisms by which EMDR promotes narrative coherence remains largely unknown. We conducted a randomized controlled pilot trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05319002) in a non-clinical sample of 27 children recruited in a primary school. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent a three-week group EMDR intervention. Subjective unit of distress (SUD), validity of cognition (VoC), classification of autobiographical memories, narrative complexity and specificity were assessed before and after the group EMDR intervention. The group EMDR intervention was able to improve SUD and VoC scales, narrative complexity and specificity, and promoted the classification of autobiographical memories as relational. The path analysis showed that SUD was able to predict VoC and narrative specificity, which, in turn, was able to predict both narrative complexity and the classification of autobiographical memories as relational. Machine-learning analysis showed that random tree classifier outperformed all other models by achieving a 93.33% accuracy. Clinical implications are discussed.
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Bryant RA. A critical review of mechanisms of adaptation to trauma: Implications for early interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder. Clin Psychol Rev 2021; 85:101981. [PMID: 33588312 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.101981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Although many attempts have been made to limit development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by early intervention after trauma exposure, these attempts have achieved only modest success. This review critiques the biological and cognitive strategies used for early intervention and outlines the extent to which they have prevented PTSD. The major predictors of PTSD are reviewed, with an emphasis on potential mechanisms that may underpin the transition from acute stress reaction to development of PTSD. This review highlights that there is a wide range of biological and cognitive factors that have been shown to predict PTSD. Despite this, the major attempts at early intervention have focused on strategies that attempt to augment extinction processes or alter appraisals in the acute period. The documented predictors of PTSD indicate that a broader range of potential strategies could be explored to limit PTSD. The evidence that people follow different trajectories of stress response following trauma and there is a wide array of acute predictors of PTSD indicates that a flexible and tailored approach needs to be investigated to evaluate more effective early intervention strategies.
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Banducci AN, Contractor AA, Weiss NH, Dranger P. Do positive memory characteristics relate to reckless behaviours? an exploratory study in a treatment-seeking traumatised sample. Memory 2020; 28:950-956. [PMID: 32633631 PMCID: PMC7484292 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2020.1788603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Reckless and self-destructive behaviours (RSDBs), common among traumatised individuals, are associated with negative health consequences. Gaining a stronger understanding of factors associated with an increased likelihood of RSDBs among traumatised individuals offers potential new avenues for research and treatment. Mounting evidence indicates relations between traumatic experiences and deficits/disturbances in characteristics of positive memories; however, relations between RSDBs and positive memory characteristics has been understudied. Using hierarchical multiple regression, we examined relations between positive memory characteristics (Memory Experiences Questionnaire-Short Form; MEQ-SF) and RSDBs, controlling for PTSD and depression severity, among a sample of treatment-seeking trauma-exposed individuals (N = 77; Mage = 33.96; 57.10% female). Results indicated that MEQ-SF subscales of Accessibility, Coherence, Emotional Intensity, and Sensory Details were significantly associated with engagement in RSDBs, above and beyond PTSD and depressive severity. Those who easily accessed emotionally evocative positive memories tended to engage in elevated RSDBs; those with less coherence and fewer sensory details in their positive memories were also more likely to engage in RSDBs. Theories related to emotion dysregulation and cognitive deficits may explain these obtained relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne N Banducci
- The National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Nicole H Weiss
- Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Paula Dranger
- Counseling Services, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN, USA
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Miragoli S, Camisasca E, Di Blasio P. Investigating linguistic coherence relations in child sexual abuse: A comparison of PTSD and non-PTSD children. Heliyon 2019; 5:e01163. [PMID: 30828653 PMCID: PMC6383049 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Language is the most common way to communicate internal states and emotions into a narrative form. Studies on the use of language provide a useful understanding of how people process an event and interpret it. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PTSD on the narrative coherence of children's reports of sexual abuse. Participants and setting Narrative coherence was analyzed within a group of 89 allegations of children (M = 10; range: 4–16), who were victims of sexual abuse. Thirty-seven children presented the symptoms for a diagnosis of PTSD. Method Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) was employed and narrative coherence was analyzed through some linguistic markers (first-person singular pronouns, conjunctions, and cognitive words). Results Results illustrated the effects of PTSD on the narrative coherence, in terms of first-person singular pronouns, conjunctions, and cognitive processes. Indeed, compared with traumatic narratives of children without PTSD, traumatic narratives of children with PTSD contained a greater number of first-person singular pronouns (MPTSD = 1.45 versus Mno-PTSD = 1.12) and a smaller number of conjunctions (MPTSD = .37 versus Mnon-PTSD = .67), cognitive (MPTSD = 2.93 versus Mnon-PTSD = 3.76) and insight words (MPTSD = 2.29 versus Mnon-PTSD = 3.09). Regression analyses were used to examine if age and PTSD were predictors of the narrative coherence, suggesting the effects of PTSD in predicting the use of the first-person singular pronouns and the conjunctions. Conclusion This study could underline the importance of considering the PTSD in legal testimony of children who have been sexually abused.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Miragoli
- Psychology Department, CRIdee, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
- Corresponding author.
| | | | - Paola Di Blasio
- Psychology Department, CRIdee, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
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Sherrill AM, Kurby CA, Lilly MM, Magliano JP. The effects of state anxiety on analogue peritraumatic encoding and event memory: introducing the stressful event segmentation paradigm. Memory 2018; 27:124-136. [PMID: 29963967 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1492619] [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: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive theories of PTSD argue that poor recall of trauma memories results from a stress-induced shift toward perceptual processing during encoding. The present study assessed the extent to which self-reported state anxiety affects event segmentation and its subsequent impact on memory performance (recall and recognition). Event segmentation is the cognitive process of condensing continuous streams of spatiotemporal information into discrete elements. In this study, undergraduates without PTSD used a computer programme to segment a stressful film and a non-stressful film and then they completed memory tasks for each film. For the stressful film, low memory performance was associated with high segmentation performance. A meditational analysis revealed high segmentation performance mediated a negative relationship between state anxiety and memory performance. Additionally, ad-hoc analyses suggest perceptual processing primarily drives segmentation of the stressful film and conceptual processing primarily drives segmentation of the non-stressful film.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Sherrill
- a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Christopher A Kurby
- b Department of Psychology , Grand Valley State University , Allendale , MI , USA
| | - Michelle M Lilly
- c Department of Psychology , Northern Illinois University , DeKalb , IL , USA
| | - Joseph P Magliano
- c Department of Psychology , Northern Illinois University , DeKalb , IL , USA
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Miragoli S, Camisasca E, Di Blasio P. Narrative fragmentation in child sexual abuse: The role of age and post-traumatic stress disorder. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2017; 73:106-114. [PMID: 28961474 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to assess the effects of age and PTSD on the narrative fragmentation in memories for child sexual abuse. Lexical complexity, cohesion and coherence were analyzed within a group of 86 allegations of children (M=10years; SD=3.7; range: 4-17) who were victims of sexual abuse. Results illustrated that age played an important role in establishing narrative coherence and predicted the level of orientation, the sequence of events and the level of evaluation of the event. Instead, PTSD was related to narrative coherence and cohesion. Therefore, in children, the narrative fragmentation could be an effective diagnostic tool for understanding the effects of PTSD. Moreover in a legal setting the traumatic effects of PTSD on the narrative coherence and cohesion could be significant indices in the evaluation of child testimony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Miragoli
- C.R.I.d.e.e., Psychology Department, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Gemelli 1, 20123 Milan, Italy.
| | - Elena Camisasca
- C.R.I.d.e.e., Psychology Department, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Gemelli 1, 20123 Milan, Italy; e-Campus University, Via Isimbardi 10, 22060 Novedrate (CO), Italy
| | - Paola Di Blasio
- C.R.I.d.e.e., Psychology Department, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Gemelli 1, 20123 Milan, Italy
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Sherrill AM, Magliano JP. Psychopathology Applications of Event Perception Basic Research: Anticipating the Road Ahead using Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as an Example. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN MEMORY AND COGNITION 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Bedard-Gilligan M, Zoellner LA, Feeny NC. Is Trauma Memory Special? Trauma Narrative Fragmentation in PTSD: Effects of Treatment and Response. Clin Psychol Sci 2017; 5:212-225. [PMID: 28503366 DOI: 10.1177/2167702616676581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Seminal theories posit that fragmented trauma memories are critical to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; van der Kolk & Fisler, 1995; Brewin, 2014) and that elaboration of the trauma narrative is necessary for recovery (e.g., Foa, Huppert, & Cahill, 2006). According to fragmentation theories, trauma narrative changes, particularly for those receiving trauma-focused treatment, should accompany symptom reduction. Trauma and control narratives in 77 men and women with chronic PTSD were examined pre- and post-treatment, comparing prolonged exposure (PE) and sertraline. Utilizing self-report, rater coding, and objective coding of narrative content, fragmentation was compared across narrative types (trauma, negative, positive) by treatment modality and response, controlling for potential confounds. Although sensory components increased with PE (d = 0.23 - 0.44), there were no consistent differences in fragmentation from pre- to post-treatment between PE and sertraline or treatment responders and non-responders. Contrary to theories, changes in fragmentation may not be a crucial mechanism underlying PTSD therapeutic recovery.
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Trauma memory characteristics and the development of acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder in youth. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2017; 54:112-119. [PMID: 27467024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2016.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES The present study addresses gaps in knowledge regarding the association between trauma memory processes and posttraumatic stress responses in youth. Our primary goal was to explore the relative contribution of perceptions of trauma memory quality versus narrative trauma memory characteristics to explain overall adjustment. METHODS Children (N = 67) were interviewed within four weeks (T1) of an injury leading to hospital treatment and then again eight weeks later (T2). In each interview, the child told a trauma narrative (which were later coded), and answered the Trauma Memory Quality Questionnaire (Meiser-Stedman, Smith, Yule, & Dalgleish, 2007a), a self-report measure indexing the sensory, fragmented, and disorganised characteristics of trauma memory. They then completed measures of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) symptoms and associated psychopathology at T1 and measures of Posttraumatic Stress (PTS) symptoms and associated psychopathology at T2. RESULTS Self-reported trauma memory characteristics predicted ASD symptoms cross-sectionally at T1 and PTS symptoms prospectively over time. At both time points, self-reported trauma memory characteristics accounted for all of the unique variance in symptoms initially explained by narrative characteristics. A reduction in self-report ratings, but not the hypothesised narrative features (e.g., disorganised or lexical elements of the narrative), significantly predicted a reduction in PTS symptoms over time. LIMITATIONS The small sample size and the absence of a within-subjects narrative control were the main limitations of the study. CONCLUSIONS These findings underscore the importance of self-reported trauma memory characteristics to the aetiology of PTSD.
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Bedard-Gilligan M, Zoellner LA. Dissociation and memory fragmentation in post-traumatic stress disorder: an evaluation of the dissociative encoding hypothesis. Memory 2012; 20:277-99. [PMID: 22348400 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2012.655747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Several prominent theories of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) posit that peritraumatic dissociation results in insufficient encoding of the trauma memory and that persistent dissociation prevents memory elaboration, resulting in memory fragmentation and PTSD. In this review we summarise the empirical literature on peritraumatic and trait dissociation and trauma narrative fragmentation as measured by meta-memory and rater/objective coding. Across 16 studies to date, the association between dissociation and fragmentation was most prominent when examining peritraumatic dissociation and patient's own ratings of memory fragmentation. This relationship did not hold when examining trait dissociation or rater-coded or computer-generated measures of fragmentation. Thus initial evidence points more towards a strong self-reported association between constructs that is not supported on more objective fragmentation coding. Measurement overlap, construct ambiguity, and exclusion of potential confounds may underlie lack of a strong association between dissociation and objective-rated fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Bedard-Gilligan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Metacognition, memory disorganization and rumination in posttraumatic stress symptoms. J Anxiety Disord 2010; 24:318-25. [PMID: 20144524 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2009] [Revised: 01/15/2010] [Accepted: 01/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to assess the relative contribution of memory disorganization and beliefs about trauma memory in the prediction of posttraumatic stress symptoms. A sample of 95 student nurses and midwives narrated their memory of the most distressing placement related event they had experienced. Several questionnaires were administered, including the Beliefs about Memory Questionnaire (BAMQ), which was devised for the study. Pearson's correlations, hierarchical analyses and mediation analyses were performed on the data. The reliability and validity of the BAMQ gained preliminary support. Beliefs about the trauma memory, but not memory disorganization within the trauma narrative, predicted a significant proportion of the variance in posttraumatic stress symptoms after control variables were accounted for. Consistent with the metacognitive model of PTSD, the use of rumination mediated the relationship between beliefs about the trauma memory and PTSD symptoms. The findings provide preliminary support for the role of meta-memory in the maintenance of PTSD symptoms and question the importance of memory disorganization.
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Waller N, Scheidt CE. [Narration as a means of restoring self-coherency: Thoughts on processing traumatic experiences]. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PSYCHOSOMATISCHE MEDIZIN UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2010; 56:56-73. [PMID: 20229492 DOI: 10.13109/zptm.2010.56.1.56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Traumatic memories are characterized by not being accessible to intentional recall nor being integrated into the matrix of autobiographical memory. Based on this description, the authors discuss the process of narration as a central means of regaining a sense of self-coherence after traumatic experiences. Formally correct narratives are characterized by three functions: orientation, reference and evaluation. Through so-called "memory talk" with socio-culturally competent partners, children learn how to reconstruct memories and to represent experience by narration. It is therefore suggested that narratives are the basic ingredient of autobiographical memory. The process of re-establishing a sense of coherence after trauma relies on the capacity for coherent narration. The latter is often not possible with traumatic experiences. METHOD AND RESULT We conducted a literature search in multiple databases for linguistic analyses of trauma narratives empirically correlating narrative style and posttraumatic psychopathology. DISCUSSION It is recommended that research in psychopathology and psychotherapy should take issues of language into account more systematically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Waller
- Psychosomatische Fachklinik Gengenbach GmbH (Klinik Kinzigtal), D-77723 Gengenbach.
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Wessel I, Moulds ML. Collective memory: A perspective from (experimental) clinical psychology. Memory 2008; 16:288-304. [DOI: 10.1080/09658210701811813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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