TY - JOUR
T1 - Negative autobiographical memories in social anxiety disorder
T2 - A comparison with panic disorder and healthy controls
AU - O'Toole, Mia Skytte
AU - Watson, Lynn Ann
AU - Rosenberg, Nicole
AU - Berntsen, Dorthe
PY - 2016/3/1
Y1 - 2016/3/1
N2 - Background and objectives Empirical interest in mental imagery in social anxiety disorder (SAD) has grown over the past years but still little is known about the specificity to SAD. The present study therefore examines negative autobiographical memories in participants with social anxiety disorder (SAD), compared to patients with panic disorder (PD), and healthy controls (HCs). Methods A total of 107 participants retrieved four memories cued by verbal phrases associated with either social anxiety (SA) or panic anxiety (PA), with two memories for each cue category. Results PA-cued memories were experienced with stronger imagery and as more traumatic. They were also rated as more central to identity than SA-cued memories, but not among participants with SAD, who perceived SA-cued memories as equally central to their identity. When between-group effects were detected, participants with anxiety disorders differed from HCs, but not from each other. Limitations Central limitations include reliance on self-report measures, comorbidity in the anxiety disorder groups, and lack of a neutrally cued memory comparison. Conclusions The findings align with models of SAD suggesting that past negative social events play a central role in this disorder. Future research is suggested to further explore the function of negative memories, not only in SAD, but also in other anxiety disorders.
AB - Background and objectives Empirical interest in mental imagery in social anxiety disorder (SAD) has grown over the past years but still little is known about the specificity to SAD. The present study therefore examines negative autobiographical memories in participants with social anxiety disorder (SAD), compared to patients with panic disorder (PD), and healthy controls (HCs). Methods A total of 107 participants retrieved four memories cued by verbal phrases associated with either social anxiety (SA) or panic anxiety (PA), with two memories for each cue category. Results PA-cued memories were experienced with stronger imagery and as more traumatic. They were also rated as more central to identity than SA-cued memories, but not among participants with SAD, who perceived SA-cued memories as equally central to their identity. When between-group effects were detected, participants with anxiety disorders differed from HCs, but not from each other. Limitations Central limitations include reliance on self-report measures, comorbidity in the anxiety disorder groups, and lack of a neutrally cued memory comparison. Conclusions The findings align with models of SAD suggesting that past negative social events play a central role in this disorder. Future research is suggested to further explore the function of negative memories, not only in SAD, but also in other anxiety disorders.
KW - Anxiety disorders
KW - Autobiographical memory
KW - Centrality of event
KW - Social phobia
KW - Traumatic impact
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942540739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.09.008
DO - 10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.09.008
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 26412293
SN - 0005-7916
VL - 50
SP - 223
EP - 230
JO - Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
ER -