Exploring the feasibility of a diary measure to assess the number of intrusive memories after trauma: A review of laboratory and clinical studies
2021 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Intrusive memories have been proposed as a target symptom for novel science-based interventions. One way to monitor the number of intrusive memories after a traumatic event is a daily intrusion diary which has been used in several studies. A further exploration of e.g., feasibility of the intrusion diary is necessary to conclude the usefulness of the measure for trauma research. The aim of this exploratory study is to assess the intrusion diary in regards of feasibility, psychometric properties and relevance. The intrusion diary was examined across 34 studies, laboratory and clinical. Data on feasibility (e.g., diary return rates, self-reported accuracy and compliance), similarities and differences of intrusion data between samples (e.g. number of intrusions and percentage of participants with zero intrusion), associations with other clinically-relevant intrusion measuress (e.g. IES-R) and relevance (e.g. percentage of intrusions described in the diary that could be matched to analogue trauma) are presented descriptively and visually as well as synthesized across studies. The results indicate high feasibility of the diary across laboratory and clinical studies (i.e., high diary return rates and accuracy/compliance ratings). The mean number of intrusions were similar between the 28 laboratory studies while the percentage of participants with no intrusions varied. Converging measures like the IES-R showed significant correlations with the diary measure and a high percentage of intrusions could be matched to the analogue trauma. With results from across 34 studies, the intrusion diary appears to be a feasible measure that can be used to monitor a clinically relevant symptom.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2021.
Keywords [en]
Trauma, intrusive memories, intrusion diary, exploratory study, feasibility
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-450126OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-450126DiVA, id: diva2:1584289
Educational program
Freestanding course
Supervisors
Examiners
2023-03-062021-08-112023-03-06Bibliographically approved