Effects of traumatic stress and perceived stress on everyday cognitive functioning

Abstract

Stressful or traumatic events have been shown to impair cognitive functioning on laboratory-based tasks due to stress-related intrusive thoughts and avoidance. However, research on the effects of stress on everyday cognitive functioning has been lacking. A sample of 909 undergraduates completed measures of perceived stress, PTSD symptoms, and everyday cognitive failures. The results revealed that both perceived stress and PTSD symptoms uniquely predicted cognitive failures, even after controlling for a number of potentially confounding variables. Additionally, there was a significant interaction. Participants with low scores on both measures of stress reported the fewest occurrences of everyday cognitive failures. In contrast, participants with elevated scores on either measure of stress reported higher levels of cognitive failures. These results suggest that there are unique negative effects of perceived stress and PTSD symptoms on everyday cognitive functioning and sharpen our understanding of the relationship between stress and cognition.

Association between cognitive impairments and anxiety disorders following traumatic brain injury

“…The finding in the current study of an association between oral information processing speed and anxiety could also be interpreted in light of the theory that anxiety disorders interfere with cognitive functioning through the effects of distraction and preoccupation by worrying thoughts (Boals & Banks, 2012;Engels et al, 2007;McNally, 1998). Verbal processing speed has also been found to be more impaired in those with TBI and PTSD than in those with PTSD alone (Campbell et al, 2009).…”

“…There is strong support for a link between anxiety disorders and cognitive impairment in the wider population, as reflected in the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and GAD, which include symptoms such as poor concentration (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), and studies of individuals with PTSD who display a profile of reduced information processing speed and executive dysfunction compared to those without PTSD (Nelson, 2009;Twamley et al, 2009). PTSD and other anxiety disorders result in an attentional bias towards external threatening stimuli and distraction by internal intrusive, ruminative, or worrisome thoughts (Boals & Banks, 2012;Engels et al, 2007;McNally, 1998). Coping with these unpleasant internal thoughts and feelings reduces the availability of attentional resources, as individuals must divide their attention between these self-focused thoughts and the demands of environmental tasks (DePrince & Freyd, 2004;Twamley et al, 2009).…”

Schizotypy and Cognitive Failures: A Mediating Role for Affect

“…They are associated with a range of negative affects including anxiety at the level of both generally heightened arousal [21] and, at the extreme, fear [22] , stress [23] , subclinical depression [24] , and guilt [22] . Given the shared link between negative affect and both schizotypy and cognitive failures, it may be that negative affect is a key contributor to high schizotypes' experience of cognitive failures in their everyday lives.…”

Cognitive Function Is Preserved in Older Adults With a Reported History of Childhood Sexual Abuse

“…PTSD sufferers demonstrate impairments in cognition (e.g. Boals & Banks, 2012;Koso & Hansen, 2006;Yehuda et al, 1995), but only a handful of studies have examined cognitive function in adult victims of childhood abuse specifically, with or without pathology. There is evidence that young adults with a history of abuse have impaired cognitive function (Bremner et al, 1995;Navalta et al, 2006).…”