Citation

Jaeger J, Lindblom KM, Parker-Guilbert K, Zoellner LA. Psychol. Trauma 2014; 6(5): 473-481.

Affiliation

University of Washington.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/a0035239

PMID

25379123

PMCID

PMC4217123

Abstract

Structural and content- related features of trauma narratives of traumatic events may help explain the development of PTSD. In a sample of 35 female assault survivors, we examined the association between the structure and content of trauma narratives and PTSD and other trauma-related reactions (i.e., depression, anxiety, anger, dissociation, and guilt). When controlling for recounting style and recounting distress, narrative structure was not strongly associated with PTSD or other trauma-related reactions. In contrast, the content of the trauma narratives (more positive and negative emotion words, higher cognitive process, and less self-focus being) was associated with lower symptomatology. Taken together, trauma narrative content rather than grammatical structure of the narrative may be more reflective of underlying emotional processing of the traumatic memory or lack thereof.

Language: en