Beliefs about Memory Questionnaire: psychometric properties in a natural disaster sample

ABSTRACT

Several theories exist regarding the role of memory in the development of PTSD. The metacognitive model of PTSD contends beliefs about trauma memory are pivotal in the development and maintenance of PTSD. The Beliefs About Memory Questionnaire (BAMQ) was developed to measure metacognitive beliefs about trauma memory. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the BAMQ and its relationship to PTSD in a community sample of 674 adults exposed to the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes and Queensland floods. Participants completed a series of online, self-report questionnaires between October and December 2012, exploring thinking and memory processes related to their experience of a natural disaster. Factor analysis validated the two-factor, positive and negative structure of the BAMQ. Convergent, concurrent, and discriminant validity was established through positive relationships with relevant metacognitive beliefs, thought control variables, and risk factors related to PTSD. Logistic regression revealed scores on the BAMQ predicted clinically significant symptoms of PTSD. The psychometric properties of the BAMQ suggest the instrument is a valuable addition to the assessment of metacognitive beliefs about trauma memory, and the utility of the BAMQ in the prediction of clinically significant symptoms of PTSD.

KEYWORDS:

• trauma
• memory
• beliefs
• disaster

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Hazel Bennett and Adrian Wells for granting use of the BAMQ. Thank you to the people who experienced the natural disasters and contributed to this research through their participation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).