Investigating Associations between Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Executive Dysfunction and Dissociative Symptoms

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dc.contributor.advisorMinnen, A. van
dc.contributor.authorScheer, L.T.
dc.date.issued2018-02-05
dc.description.abstractPost-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by intrusions of an experienced trauma, avoidance behavior and heightened arousal. Another common phenomenon in the context of trauma is dissociation. Accordingly, the core symptoms of dissociation are depersonalization – which means a person feeling like they are outside of their body – and derealization, where things in one’s environment do not feel real. Studies suggest that more severe trauma leads to more severe dissociation experiences. These two factors – symptoms of PTSD and dissociation – are both connected to executive functioning (EF). In the current paper, EF is operationalized as working memory and cognitive flexibility. There is ongoing debate about the relation of PTSD symptom severity and executive functioning, with an overall consensus that PTSD leads to worse executive functioning. In this paper, it is hypothesized that more severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress lead to worse executive functioning. Moreover, the relation between dissociation and EF is unclear: while some papers suggest that dissociation worsens executive functioning, others claim that poorer functioning is only perceived subjectively, but not measured objectively. In this paper, dissociative symptoms are included as a mediator. More severe symptoms of PTSD might lead to more dissociative symptoms, which might result in worse executive dysfunction. Thirty-three participants clinically diagnosed with PTSD were included in this study. The results showed that more severe symptoms of PTSD indeed lead to worse executive functioning. Moreover, more severe symptoms of PTSD and more severe dissociative symptoms depend on each other. However, the hypothesis that dissociative symptoms lead to worse executive functioning could not be supported. Furthermore, no mediation effect could be found. Different alternative explanations are discussed accordingly.en_US
dc.embargo.lift10000-01-01
dc.embargo.typePermanent embargoen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://theses.ubn.ru.nl/handle/123456789/6712
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.thesis.facultyFaculteit der Sociale Wetenschappenen_US
dc.thesis.specialisationMaster Gezondheidszorgpsychologieen_US
dc.thesis.studyprogrammePsychologieen_US
dc.thesis.typeMasteren_US
dc.titleInvestigating Associations between Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Executive Dysfunction and Dissociative Symptomsen_US
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