Non-fear emotions in changes in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms during treatment

Sophie A Rameckers; Arnold A P van Emmerik; Raoul P P P Grasman; Arnoud Arntz

doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2024.101954

Non-fear emotions in changes in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms during treatment

J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 29:84:101954. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2024.101954. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Sophie A Rameckers¹, Arnold A P van Emmerik², Raoul P P P Grasman³, Arnoud Arntz²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: S.A.Rameckers@uva.nl.
² Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
³ Department of Psychological Methods, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

PMID: 38479086
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2024.101954

Abstract

Background and objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not only associated with fear but also with other emotions. The present study aimed to examine if changes in shame, guilt, anger, and disgust predicted changes in PTSD symptoms during treatment, while also testing if PTSD symptoms, in turn, predicted changes in these emotions.

Methods: Participants (N = 155) with childhood-related PTSD received a maximum of 12 sessions of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or imagery rescripting. The data was analyzed using Granger causality models across 12 treatment sessions and 6 assessment sessions (up until one year after the start of treatment). Differences between the two treatments were explored.

Results: Across treatment sessions, shame, and disgust showed a reciprocal relationship with PTSD symptoms, while changes in guilt preceded PTSD symptoms. Across assessments, anger was reciprocally related to PTSD, suggesting that anger might play a more important role in the longer term.

Limitations: The individual emotion items were not yet validated, and the CAPS was not administered at all assessments.

Conclusions: These findings partly differ from earlier studies that suggested a unidirectional relationship in which changes in emotions preceded changes in PTSD symptoms during treatment. This is in line with the idea that non-fear emotions do play an important role in the treatment of PTSD and constitute an important focus of treatment and further research.

Keywords: Change processes; EMDR; Emotions; ImRs; Posttraumatic stress disorder.