The relationship between suppression and subsequent intrusions: the mediating role of peritraumatic dissociation and anxiety
Abstract
Background and objectives Although previous studies showed that thought and emotion suppression represent risk factors for intrusions development, the mechanisms that explain these relations were less explored. This study aims to examine the relationships between thought and emotion suppression and the symptoms of intrusion following the exposure to a trauma-related event. Moreover, we explored if these relationships would be mediated by peritraumatic state dissociation and state anxiety. Design and methods The trauma film paradigm was used and the participants were students (N = 148) experimentally exposed to an aversive film to model a traumatic experience. Thought and emotion suppression were measured before the trauma exposure. After exposure, the participants completed scales for measuring state dissociation and state anxiety. Intrusive images and thoughts of the film were recorded in the subsequent week using an intrusion diary. Results Thought suppression predicted intrusive thoughts frequency, and this effect was mediated by the peritraumatic anxiety. State anxiety predicted both intrusive images and thoughts, while state dissociation only predicted intrusive images. Conclusions Intrusive images and intrusive thoughts are different phenomena and they are predicted by different variables. The practical implications of these results for posttraumatic stress disorder treatment and secondary traumatization are discussed.
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The attempt to avoid or suppress difficult thoughts can conversely increase those thoughts and the accompanying emotions.
“In fact, the attempt to avoid or suppress difficult thoughts can conversely increase those thoughts and the accompanying emotions [28-31]”
From Mindfulness, Experiential Avoidance, and Recovery From Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. (2019) · cites this paper as [30]
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Dissociation and emotion regulation strategies: A meta-analytic review
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- Authors
- Măirean, C., & Ceobanu, C. M.
- Affiliations
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (RO)
- Corresponding author
- Măirean, Cornelia
- Venue
- Anxiety, Stress, & Coping
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-12-08
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 304-316
- ISSN
- 1061-5806 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-2205
- OpenAlex
- W2553642904
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 2.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Anxiety Stress & Coping (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- thought suppression, emotional suppression, intrusive thoughts, intrusive images, peritraumatic dissociation, state anxiety, trauma exposure, trauma film paradigm, post-traumatic stress disorder, secondary traumatic stress, mediation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Stress, Psychological, Students, Thinking, Young Adult
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