Elsevier

Behavior Therapy

Volume 36, Issue 3, Summer 2005, Pages 277-287
Behavior Therapy

Original Research
The role of thought suppression in posttraumatic stress disorder*

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(05)80076-0Get rights and content

Thirty motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors with PTSD and 25 without PTSD completed a trauma-related thought-suppression task. Both groups successfully suppressed trauma-related thoughts, followed by a rebound effect for the PTSD group, and no rebound effect for the no-PTSD group, in a replication of previous work (Shipherd & Beck, 1999). Additionally, a personally relevant, neutral thought-suppression task was included to examine the generalizability of thought suppression in PTSD participants. The PTSD group was able to suppress neutral thoughts without a rebound effect, suggesting that increases in suppressed thoughts are specific to trauma-relevant cognitions in individuals with PTSD. The potential role of thought suppression as a maintaining factor for reexperiencing symptoms of PTSD is discussed.

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    • Co-occurring mental health symptoms and cognitive processes in trauma-exposed ASD adults

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      Suppression (i.e. attempting to hide, inhibit or reduce unwanted thoughts or emotions) and perseverative thinking (i.e. repetitive negative thinking) are posited to be transdiagnostic maladaptive coping strategies (e.g. Ehring & Watkins, 2008; Sheppes, Suri, & Gross, 2015). These processes are implicated in the development/maintenance of mental health disorders such as PTSD (e.g. avoidance of trauma-related thoughts, feelings and external reminders, unwanted upsetting memories and vivid flashbacks; negative thoughts and assumptions), anxiety (e.g. avoidance of feared stimuli and worry) and depression (e.g. emotional suppression and rumination) in the TD population (Mould et al., 2020; Aldao & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2010; Beblo et al., 2012; Ehring & Watkins, 2008; Nolen-Hoeksema, 2000; Shipherd & Beck, 2005). Following trauma, thought suppression tends to heighten the intensity of the distressing symptoms, as the persistent avoidance of all internal and external cues (places, activities, thoughts) associated with the traumatic experience produces a paradoxical ‘rebound effect’ (Davies & Clark, 1998).

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    *

    This study was funded by the Graduate Student Association of the State University of New York at Buffalo through the Mark Diamond Research Award.

    1

    Jillian C. Shipherd, Ph.D., is now at the National Center for PTSD-Women's Health Sciences Division, Boston VA Healthcare System, and Boston University School of Medicine.

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