Autobiographical memory specificity in trauma exposed adolescents

Abstract

Abstract A recent line of research has demonstrated that individuals exposed to potentially traumatizing events exhibit difficulties in retrieving specific autobiographical memories. Moreover, research has revealed that this tendency is associated with trauma related psychological disorders, such as PTSD and depression. The present study investigated the relationship between trauma exposure and autobiographical memory specificity in adolescents. A group of Bosnian adolescents who experienced war trauma in childhood were compared with Norwegian adolescents without previous exposure to war trauma in relation to autobiographical memory specificity, as measured by the Autobiographical Memory Test. In addition the two groups were compared in relation to semantic autobiographical memory, as measured by a semantic Autobiographical Memory Test. Furthermore, the relationship between autobiographical memory retrieval and self report measures of depression, intrusion and avoidance symptoms, and dissociation symptoms were investigated. Results revealed that the Bosnian group responded with significantly fewer specific autobiographical memories compared to the Norwegian control group. Instead the Bosnian group responded with significantly more extended and categorical autobiographical memories. Moreover, the Bosnian group demonstrated significantly shorter retrieval latencies compared to the Norwegian control group. No significant correlations between autobiographical memory specificity and self report measures for depression, dissociation or intrusion and avoidance were found. Furthermore, for the Bosnian group no relationship between trauma exposure and semantic autobiographical memory was found. The present findings are discussed in relation to previous findings in adult samples and in relation to Williams (1996) developmental hypothesis of overgeneral autobiographical memory retrieval.