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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
Published on: August 26, 2011
Centrality of positive and negative deployment memories predicts posttraumatic growth in danish veterans
Søren Risløv Staugaard1, Kim Berg Johannessen, Yvonne Duval Thomsen
1Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University.
Objective:
The purpose of the present study was to examine theoretically motivated predictors for the development of positive changes following potentially traumatic experiences (i.e., posttraumatic growth). Specifically, we wanted to examine the prediction that memories of highly negative and positive deployment events predict subsequent posttraumatic growth.
Method:
A total of 251 Danish soldiers (7% female, mean age 26.4) deployed to forward operating bases in Afghanistan filled out questionnaires before, during, and after deployment. This allowed us to perform prospective as well as cross-sectional analyses of the data.
Results:
The main findings were that the centrality of highly emotional memories from deployment predicted growth alongside openness to experience, combat exposure, and social support. Importantly, the centrality of both positive and negative memories predicted growth equally well.
Conclusion:
The perceived importance of both negative and positive events may play an important part in the development of posttraumatic growth.
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