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Thought control strategies in acute stress disorder
1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|September 24, 1998
Summary
Survivors of motor vehicle accidents with acute stress disorder (ASD) used more worry and punishment thought control strategies. These strategies correlated with increased symptom severity, highlighting their role in posttraumatic stress.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- Intrusive trauma-related thoughts are central to posttraumatic stress.
- Understanding thought control strategies is crucial for managing trauma.
- Motor vehicle accidents are a common cause of trauma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate thought control strategies in motor vehicle accident survivors.
- To compare strategy use between those with and without acute stress disorder (ASD).
- To examine the association between thought control strategies and symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- Participants: 40 motor vehicle accident survivors (20 with ASD, 20 without).
- Measures: Acute Stress Disorder Interview, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Impact of Event Scale, Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ).
- Data Collection: Within four weeks of the accident.
Main Results:
- Distraction, social control, and reappraisal were common in both groups.
- ASD participants used more punishment and worry strategies than non-ASD participants.
- Worry and punishment strongly correlated with intrusive, avoidance, arousal, and depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive strategies significantly influence the resolution of posttraumatic stress.
- Maladaptive thought control strategies like worry and punishment may exacerbate symptoms.
- Findings inform therapeutic interventions for trauma survivors.