Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
Behav Res Ther. 2011 Mar;49(3):194-201. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2011.01.002. Epub 2011 Jan 14.
Ehlers and Clark (2000) developed a cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom maintenance which implicated the role of posttraumatic cognitions and aspects of the trauma memory in maintaining symptoms via an increased sense of current threat. The aim of the current study was to empirically test a variant of this model using path analysis. Participants in the current study were 514 undergraduates at a midwestern university who reported experiencing at least one traumatic event. Path analyses examined various models of the possible relationships between one's posttraumatic cognitions and the centrality of the traumatic event to the sense of self (considered an aspect of memory integration) in predicting current level of PTSD symptoms. Results indicate that both event centrality and posttraumatic cognitions are unique and independent predictors of current symptom level. Overall, the results of this study support aspects of Ehlers and Clark's cognitive model of PTSD; cognitive appraisals of the self and centrality of the event were highly related to levels of distress. However, the current study suggests that overly integrated trauma memories may lead to greater distress and not poorly integrated ones as suggested by Ehlers and Clark.
埃勒斯和克拉克（2000 年）提出了一个创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状维持的认知模型，该模型认为创伤后认知和创伤记忆的某些方面通过增加当前威胁感在维持症状方面发挥作用。本研究的目的是使用路径分析实证检验该模型的一个变体。本研究的参与者是中西部一所大学的 514 名本科生，他们报告至少经历过一次创伤性事件。路径分析检验了在预测当前 PTSD 症状水平方面，一个人的创伤后认知与创伤事件对自我中心性（被认为是记忆整合的一个方面）之间的可能关系的各种模型。结果表明，事件中心性和创伤后认知都是当前症状水平的独特且独立的预测因素。总的来说，这项研究的结果支持了埃勒斯和克拉克的 PTSD 认知模型的某些方面；对自我的认知评估和事件的中心性与痛苦程度高度相关。然而，本研究表明，过于整合的创伤记忆可能会导致更大的痛苦，而不是像埃勒斯和克拉克所建议的那样，整合不良的创伤记忆会导致更大的痛苦。
