A longitudinal examination of overgeneral memory and psychopathology in children following recent trauma exposure

This study represents the first longitudinal examination of the trajectory of overgeneral memory (OGM) in children and how this relates to psychopathology immediately after trauma exposure. We recruited fifty 7- to 17-year-olds who had experienced an accidental injury that resulted in hospital admission. Assessment of psychological symptoms, OGM and cognitive processes proposed to drive OGM was completed at three points over a 6-month period post-trauma. We found that OGM was not related to depressive symptoms and that time since trauma exposure moderated the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and OGM. Although no relationship was found in the first 3months following trauma, OGM was protective against post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms at 6months post-trauma. Despite models of OGM (e.g. Williams et al.,) emphasising the role of rumination and executive control in explaining OGM, we found no evidence that they were related to OGM.