Abstract
Cognitive models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) highlight maladaptive posttrauma appraisals, trauma memory qualities, and coping strategies, such as rumination or thought suppression, as key processes that maintain PTSD symptoms. Anxiety, depression and externalising symptoms can also present in children in the aftermath of trauma, yet there has been little empirical investigation of the potential relevance of posttrauma cognitive processes for such difficulties. Here, we examined whether: a) acute maladaptive cognitive processes (specifically, maladaptive appraisals, memory qualities, and cognitive coping) were associated with symptoms of PTSD, internalising, and externalising at 1-month posttrauma (T1); and b) changes in these cognitive processes predicted symptom change at a follow-up assessment 6 months later (T2). We recruited 132 6–13 year old children and their parents from emergency departments following the child’s experience of an acute trauma. Children self-reported on their maladaptive appraisals, trauma-memory and cognitive coping strategies, along with symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. Parents also rated children’s internalising and externalising symptoms. We found each cognitive process to be robustly associated with PTSD and non-PTSD internalising symptoms at T1, and change in each predicted change in symptoms to T2. Maladaptive appraisals and cognitive coping were unique predictors of children’s posttrauma internalising. Effects were partially retained even controlling for co-occurring PTSD symptoms. There was less evidence that trauma-specific cognitive processes were associated with externalising symptoms. Findings suggest aspects of cognitive models of PTSD are applicable to broader posttrauma psychopathology, and have implications for how we understand and target children’s posttrauma psychological adjustment.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 683–693 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology |
Volume | 47 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 28 Sep 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 15 Apr 2019 |
Keywords
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Internalising and externalising
- Appraisals
- Memory
- Longitudinal
Profiles
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Richard Meiser-Stedman
- Norwich Medical School - Professor of Clinical Psychology
- Lifespan Health - Member
- Mental Health - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research