Role of social cognition in post‐traumatic stress disorder: A review and meta‐analysis
Year: 2018
Type: review
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: Social functioning is a key component of recovery after a potentially traumatic experience, and the buffering role of the social support in trauma resilience and recovery has been very well documented. Factors contributing to resilience and recovery are notable because although most people will experience a traumatic event during their lifetimes, only 6% to 10% are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The relationship between an individual and their social environment is determined both by the quality of the social environment itself, and by the individual's perception and understanding of information conveyed by the other people around them. However, little research has considered the contribution of these internal social cognitive processes to PTSD risk or resilience. The current review draws on the existing literature on social cognitive functioning in trauma exposure and PTSD, identifying key questions and themes for future research. We utilized a meta-analytic approach to assess the evidence for alterations in social cognition in PTSD, finding a consistent large deficit in social cognitive performance in PTSD groups relative to trauma-exposed and healthy controls. We then reviewed the literature on the interaction of genes and the social environment, supporting the hypothesis that social cognitive deficits are a preexisting risk factor for PTSD. Finally, we reviewed relevant neuroimaging findings, which suggest that alterations in social cognition affect the perception of threat cues in PTSD. Overall, research on social cognition and PTSD is still emerging, but existing findings suggest this is an important and understudied area for the understanding of PTSD.
Source: Genes Brain & Behavior
DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12518
Authors: Jennifer S. Stevens, Tanja Jovanovic
Institution: Emory University
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Awards: G113948604, Development, Trauma, and Genotype Effects on Biomarkers of Anxiety in Children, Emory R38 Research Training Program, Neuroimaging correlates of impaired fear inhibition in PTSD, Impact of Trauma Exposure on Critical Periods in Brain Development and Fear Processing in Children, Emory University BIRCWH Program, G7668671830, Effects of Cortisol Suppression on Fear-Potentiated Startle in Trauma & PTSD, Emory Specialized Center of Research Excellence (SCORE) on Sex Differences
OpenAlex ID: W2891647822