Thought control strategies in acute stress disorder

Gladiss Warda, Richard A. Bryant*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

75 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Intrusive trauma-related thoughts and the means to manage them are a central dynamic in posttraumatic stress. Thought control strategies were investigated in survivors of motor vehicle accidents with either acute stress disorder (ASD; n = 20) or no ASD (n = 20). Participants completed the Acute Stress Disorder Interview, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Impact of Event Scale, and the Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ) within four weeks of their accident. Although distraction, social control, and reappraisal were the most common strategies in both groups, ASD participants engaged in punishment and worry more than non-ASD participants. Worry and punishment were also strongly associated with severity of intrusive, avoidance, arousal, and depressive symptoms. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of cognitive strategies in resolving posttraumatic stress.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1171-1175
Number of pages5
JournalBehaviour Research and Therapy
Volume36
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 1998
Externally publishedYes

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