Intrusions of autobiographical memories in individuals reporting childhood emotional maltreatment

Figures & data

Table 1. Mean (M) and standard deviations (SD) of demographics and clinical characteristics per CEM group

Groups		No Abuse (n=24)		Low CEM (n=22)		Moderate CEM(n=21)		Severe CEM (n=16)		χ^2	p
Gender	n Female/Male	18/6		12/10		14/7		12/4		2.71	0.43
		M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	F	P
Age		19.79	2.09	19.59	1.47	19.57	1.66	20.06	2.62	0.24	0.86
Impact of event scale	Total score	9.83	12.89	18.57	17.19	14.76	12.17	22.50	17.93	2.56	0.06 #
	Intrusion	5.29	6.66	9.18	8.66	7.38	6.30	8.25	6.98	1.20	0.32
	Avoidance	4.54	6.98	8.95	9.12	7.38	7.37	14.25	12.40	3.92	0.01 *
SCL-90	Total score	124.00	29.47	125.55	25.13	128.67	28.76	129.31	21.28	0.18	0.99
Negative experience	Frequency	1.58	1.10	2.00	1.72	1.65	1.18	1.63	1.02	0.48	0.70
	Negativeness	7.29	1.97	7.52	1.87	7.25	1.77	7.63	1.50	0.18	0.91
	Vividness	8.58	1.02	7.59	2.17	7.15	2.16	7.94	1.95	2.35	0.08#
	Stressfulness	5.75	1.94	4.91	2.86	6.05	2.91	6.88	1.36	2.17	0.10
	Frightfulness	3.71	2.37	4.91	2.89	5.05	2.96	4.81	2.32	1.22	0.31
Positive experience	Frequency	2.00	1.18	2.50	0.74	2.10	1.07	1.88	1.15	1.37	0.26
	Negativeness	1.83	1.17	1.73	0.88	1.85	0.99	2.31	1.85	0.78	0.51
	Vividness	7.38	1.64	7.64	2.11	7.45	2.21	8.00	1.71	0.38	0.77
	Stressfulness	2.00	2.15	2.32	1.55	2.35	2.21	2.88	2.16	0.60	0.62
	Frightfulness	1.79	1.79	1.73	1.42	1.80	1.88	1.94	1.83	0.94	0.43

#p<0.10, *p <  0.05

Table 2. Classifications of the positive and negative autobiographical memories

Groups	No Abuse (n=24)	%	Low CEM (n=22)	%	Moderate CEM (n=21)	%	Severe CEM (n=16)	%
Positive memory
Self, pride, and relief in own achievement	13	54.2	14	63.6	9	42.9	7	43.8
Partner, beginning of relationship, or happy moment with partner	4	16.7	0		2	9.5	4	25.0
Friends give compliments, appreciation	1	4.2	0		2	9.5	1	6.3
Friends show support	3	12.5	2	9.1	2	9.5	1	6.3
Parents show (support/ appreciation)	1	4.2	0		0		0
Compliment, appreciation from stranger	2	8.3	1	4.5	2	9.5	0
Special occasion, party, get together	0		4	18.2	3	14.3	3	18.8
Something else	0		1	4.5	1	4.8	0
Negative memory
Self, guilt, shame	4	16.7	2	9.1	3	14.3	1	6.3
Partner, ending of relation, or relationship troubles	7	29.2	6	27.3	8	38.1	4	25.0
Friends that are not being supportive, or do not show respect	4	16.7	6	27.3	3	14.3	4	25.0
Friends, having words with, or being criticized by	1	4.2	0		2	9.5	1	6.3
Parents do not show (support/ appreciation)	3	12.5	1	4.5	1	4.8	5	31.3
Having words/being criticized with /by strangers	0		1	4.5	0		0
Loss, or illness	3	12.5	6	27.3	3	14.3	1	6.3
Something else	2	8.3	0		1	4.8	0

Figure 1.  Mean and standard error of IES avoidance level per group. *p < 0.05, #p < 0.10.

Figure 2.  Mean and standard errors of self-reported intrusions of the positive and negative autobiographical memory in the Suppression (S) and Expression (E) phase in the No Abuse, Low CEM, Moderate CEM, and Severe CEM groups, #p < 0.10.

Figure 3.  Mean and standard errors of self-reported intrusions of the positive and negative autobiographical memory in the Suppression (S) and Expression (E) phase, *p < 0.05.