‘My child could have died’: counterfactual thoughts and psychological distress in parents of trauma survivors

Abstract

Background: After exposure to a potentially traumatic event, survivors may experience thoughts about ‘what could have happened’, referred to as counterfactual thoughts (CFTs). CFTs have been found to have a negative impact on survivors’ mental health. This is the first study to investigate whether parents of trauma survivors experience CFTs and the association with psychological distress in this group. Objective: The main aim of the present study is to investigate CFTs in parents of trauma survivors and the relationship between the frequency and vividness of CFTs and psychological distress. Method: The participants ( N = 310, 191 females) were parents of the youths targeted in the terror attack on Utøya island, Norway, in 2011. Frequency and vividness of CFTs, posttraumatic stress reactions (PTSR), and symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured 8.5–9 years post-terror. Results: The majority of the parents (74%) reported having experienced CFTs at some time point since the attack. For almost one-third of the parents, CFTs were still present more than eight years after the attack. Higher frequency and vividness of CFTs were uniquely associated with higher levels of PTSR, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that frequent and vivid CFTs may contribute to mental health problems in parents of trauma survivors and should be addressed in therapy.