Attentional control, trauma, and affect regulation: A preliminary investigation

Disengaging and shifting attention from threat-related stimuli may help reduce negative affect, thereby allowing distressed individuals to function more effectively in their environment. The present pilot study provides an initial examination of associations among attentional control (AC), posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and affective responding following trauma retelling. Participants (N = 49) reported baseline affect, described their traumatic event, and completed self-report measures. Affect was reassessed at two time points following trauma retelling. AC predicted the degree to which participants recovered from trauma-elicited negative mood following trauma retelling, with individuals high in AC showing greater recovery than individuals low in AC. A small to medium effect was observed for PTSS as a moderator of this relationship. Findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of AC are better able to attenuate distress associated with trauma stimuli; furthermore, trauma-related distress may negatively affect one's ability to use AC. Thus, interventions aimed at developing executive attention may be helpful in alleviating trauma-related distress.