Thought suppression failures in combat PTSD: a cognitive load hypothesis.
The present study investigated the relation between thought suppression of emotionally neutral content [i.e., Wegner's (1994) "white bear"], incidental traumatic thought intrusion, and skin conductance responses in combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Participants included service members who either: a) had PTSD following an Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment; b) were free of psychiatric diagnosis following deployment (Combat Equivalent), or c) were pre-deployed and without psychiatric diagnosis (Pre-Deployed). PTSD Service Members reported the greatest intrusion of combat thoughts during the suppression task and demonstrated a post-suppression rebound effect with a neutral thought. Non-specific skin conductance responses indicated that the suppression task was related to similar levels of increased sympathetic activity for both the PTSD and Pre-Deployed groups, whereas the Combat Equivalent group showed no increased activation during thought suppression. Intrusive traumatic thoughts combined with failures in neutral thought suppression may be a consequence of increased cognitive load in PTSD.
Aikins
Deane E
DE
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. deane.aikins@yale.edu
Johnson
Douglas C
DC
Borelli
Jessica L
JL
Klemanski
David H
DH
Morrissey
Paul M
PM
Benham
Todd L
TL
Southwick
Steven M
SM
Tolin
David F
DF
D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology*