Relations Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Positive Memory Characteristics Among Women Reporting Intimate Partner Violence: A Micro-Longitudinal Study

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and positive autobiographical memory characteristics in everyday life

Individuals with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) report difficulties engaging with positive autobiographical memories. Extending this line of research, we examined daily-level concurrent and lagged associations between PTSS severity and positive memory characteristics (vividness, coherence, accessibility, time perspective, sensory details, visual perspective, emotional intensity, sharing, distancing, and valence). The sample included 88 trauma survivors (Mage = 39.89 years, 59.1% female) who completed seven daily measures of PTSS and positive memory characteristics. Multilevel models examined concurrent and lagged associations between PTSS severity and positive memory characteristics. The results indicated that days with higher PTSS severity were associated with less accessibility, β = -.21, p < .001; less visual perspective, β = -0.13, p = .034; and lower positive valence of the memory, β = -.19, p = .003, as well as more emotional intensity associated with, β = .13, p = .041, and more distancing from, β = .21, p < .001, the memory. Supplemental lagged analyses indicated that higher previous-day PTSS severity was associated with more next-day distancing from, β = .15, p = .042, and sensory details of, β = .17, p = .016, the memory. Findings suggest that individuals with more severe PTSS have difficulties accessing positively valenced memories from a first-person perspective, are more distant from the recalled positive memory, and report more emotional intensity when retrieving the memory. Thus, improving access to and reducing distance from positive autobiographical memories, as well as addressing emotional intensity surrounding the retrieval of these memories, may be potential clinical targets for PTSS interventions.

Daily-level associations between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and reactions to retrieving positive autobiographical memories

Trauma survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report difficulties accessing and describing positive memories. To understand these patterns, we examined daily-level relations of PTSD symptoms with affective, cognitive (dwelling/rumination; pushing memory out of one's mind; suppression; avoidance; distraction; thinking about something else; remembering negative or positive memories/events; negative or positive thoughts; accepting or disapproving memory; reinterpreting memory), and behavioral (using alcohol/drugs; smoking cigarettes; cravings for or seeking out cigarettes/alcohol/drugs; craving, seeking out, or consuming large amounts of food; dissociation; engaging in risky behaviors; sharing memories; interference with ongoing task; arousal) reactions to retrieving positive memories. Eighty-eight trauma survivors (Mage= 39.89 years; 59.1% female) completed 7 daily measures of PTSD and reactions to retrieving positive memories. Days with more PTSD severity were associated with higher odds of same-day suppression, avoidance, distraction, thinking about something else, smoking cigarettes, craving substances, craving, seeking out, or consuming large amounts of food, dissociation, remembering negative memories/events/thoughts, engaging in risky behaviors, interference with ongoing tasks, and arousal (ORs=1.10-1.22); and greater negative affect (β = 0.27). Supplemental lagged analyses indicated some associations between previous-day reactions to positive memory retrieval and next-day PTSD severity and vice versa. Trauma survivors with PTSD symptoms report negative and avoidance-oriented reactions to retrieving positive memories.

Impacts of repeated retrieval of positive and neutral memories on posttrauma health: An investigative pilot study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Evidence indicates that positive memory processes play a role in the etiology and maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and related posttrauma health indicators. To extend this research, the current pilot study examined if repeated retrieval of positive vs. neutral memories was associated with (1) less PTSS and depression severity; and (2) improved affect and cognitions (fewer posttrauma cognitions, more positively-valenced affect, less negatively-valenced affect, less negative affect interference, less anhedonia, retrieval of more positive specific memories, retrieval of fewer negative specific memories).

METHODS

Twenty-five trauma-exposed participants were randomly assigned to a positive or neutral memory task condition. They participated in four weekly experimental sessions facilitated by an experimenter virtually; each consecutive session was separated by 6-8 days. We conducted mixed between-within subjects ANOVAs to examine study hypotheses.

RESULTS

No interaction effects were significant. There were significant main effects of time on PTSS and depression severity, posttrauma cognitions, positively-valenced and negatively-valenced affect, and negative affect interference.

LIMITATIONS

We used self-report measures, small and non-clinical sample with limited demographic diversity, and virtual format; did not record memory narratives; and did not have a trauma memory condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on pilot data, our findings suggest that individuals who retrieve positive or neutral memories repeatedly may report less PTSS and depression severity, fewer posttrauma cognitions, and improved affect. Results provide an impetus to examine impacts of and mechanisms underlying memory interventions (beyond a sole focus on negatively-valenced memories) in trauma work.