False Memory Susceptibility in OEF/OIF Veterans With and Without PTSD

False memory susceptibility was measured in 80 Iraq/Afghanistan veterans with (n = 32) and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; n = 48) using a modified Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) word list task that included trauma-related critical (nonpresented) lures. PTSD was classified using medical...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Military psychology 2015-11, Vol.27 (6), p.354-365
Main Authors: Dasse, Michelle N., Juback, Sara K., Morissette, Sandra B., Dolan, Sara L., Weaver, Charles A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol use
combat exposure
Deese-Roediger McDermott task
depression
memory deficits
Mental depression
Mental health
Post traumatic stress disorder
Veterans
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Summary:False memory susceptibility was measured in 80 Iraq/Afghanistan veterans with (n = 32) and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; n = 48) using a modified Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) word list task that included trauma-related critical (nonpresented) lures. PTSD was classified using medical record diagnoses. Participants completed a variety of self-report assessments, including the Beck Depression Inventory, the Anxiety and Stress subscales of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, and the Tellegen Absorption Scale. Veterans with PTSD displayed global memory impairments on all types of items, except for trauma-related critical lures; on these critical lures, they exhibited false memory levels equal to those seen in veterans without PTSD. The magnitude of most effects were reduced, but not entirely eliminated, when controlling for depression, suggesting that neither PTSD nor co-occurring depression entirely explain these findings. The potential effects of other mental health conditions, such as alcohol dependence, could not be ruled out. Our results support explanations of PTSD that emphasize differential processing of trauma-related information.
ISSN:0899-5605
1532-7876
DOI:10.1037/mil0000094