Autobiographical integration of trauma memories and repressive coping predict post-traumatic stress symptoms in undergraduate students

• Published in: Clinical psychology and psychotherapy 2010-05, Vol.17 (3), p.211-218
• Main Authors: Smeets, Tom, Giesbrecht, Timo, Raymaekers, Linsey, Shaw, Julia, Merckelbach, Harald
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Autobiographical Memory; College students; Defense Mechanisms; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Dissociative Disorders - diagnosis; Dissociative Disorders - psychology; Female; Humans; Life Change Events; Male; Memory; Mental Recall; Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data; Post traumatic stress disorder; Psychometrics; Psychotherapy; PTSD; Repression, Psychology; Repressive Coping; Resilience; Resilience, Psychological; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Students - psychology; Studies; Trauma; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1063-3995; 1099-0879
• DOI: 10.1002/cpp.644

What differentiates those who are able to adapt well to adverse life events (i.e., persons who are resilient) from those who are not (e.g., persons who develop post‐traumatic stress symptoms)? Previous work suggests that enhanced autobiographical integration of trauma memories is associated with more severe post‐traumatic stress symptoms. Extending this line of work, the present study looked at whether the integration of trauma memories, repressive coping and cognitive reactivity are related to post‐traumatic stress symptomatology following negative life events among otherwise healthy young adults (N = 213). Results show that while enhanced integration of trauma memories and high levels of dissociation are related to elevated levels of post‐traumatic stress, people who generally engage in repressive coping report fewer post‐traumatic stress symptoms. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message: • Enhanced integration of trauma memories is linked to increased post‐traumatic stress. • High levels of trait dissociation are related to elevated levels of post‐traumatic stress symptomatology. • A repressive coping style is associated with fewer post‐traumatic stress symptoms.