Computer-Based Perspective Broadening Support for Appraisal Training: Acceptance and Effects

Post-traumatic stress affects millions of people worldwide. Appraisal training is an intervention that has been used to decrease the negative effects of a traumatic event. In two studies, the acceptance and effects of technology in supporting appraisal was studied. Study 1, a descriptive study, examined the response to and acceptance of a workshop on perspective broadening with technological support among soldiers and firefighters. Results revealed that both groups evaluated the training as useful and feasible, and both favoured the full version of the tool. Study 2 investigated the effect of the support tool among a student sample in comparison to the paper-based training. Participants followed the training individually. Comparisons between the two groups revealed no significant differences on multiple outcome measures. Behaviour observed during the training suggests that shorter sessions might prove more effective. The findings indicate acceptance of the technology supported training but gives no indication that the effects of the training are improved by technological support.

[1]  Jacquelyn W. White,et al.  Rates of DSM-IV-TR Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Newly Matriculated College Students. , 2011, Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy.

[2]  B. Fredrickson,et al.  Resilient individuals use positive emotions to bounce back from negative emotional experiences. , 2004, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[3]  Branimir Dropuljic,et al.  Physiology-Driven Adaptive Virtual Reality Stimulation for Prevention and Treatment of Stress Related Disorders , 2010, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[4]  T. Ehring,et al.  Vividness of general mental imagery is associated with the occurrence of intrusive memories. , 2013, Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry.

[5]  S. Southwick,et al.  Prevalence and Axis I comorbidity of full and partial posttraumatic stress disorder in the United States: results from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. , 2011, Journal of anxiety disorders.

[6]  E. Holmes,et al.  Inducing and modulating intrusive emotional memories: a review of the trauma film paradigm. , 2008, Acta psychologica.

[7]  R. Bryant,et al.  Maladaptive Appraisals as a Risk Factor for Posttraumatic Stress , 2005, Psychological science.

[8]  M. Neerincx,et al.  Virtual agent-mediated appraisal training: a single case series among Dutch firefighters , 2017, European journal of psychotraumatology.

[9]  Emily A. Holmes,et al.  Reducing analogue trauma symptoms by computerized reappraisal training – Considering a cognitive prophylaxis? , 2013, Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry.

[10]  T. Dalgleish,et al.  Seeing the bigger picture: training in perspective broadening reduces self-reported affect and psychophysiological response to distressing films and autobiographical memories. , 2009, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[11]  R. Kessler,et al.  Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. , 1995, Archives of general psychiatry.

[12]  M. Becker,et al.  The Health Belief Model: A Decade Later , 1984, Health education quarterly.

[13]  N. Morina,et al.  Interventions for children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis of comparative outcome studies. , 2016, Clinical psychology review.

[14]  T. T. Haug,et al.  The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. An updated literature review. , 2002, Journal of psychosomatic research.

[15]  E. Glucksman,et al.  Do Cognitive Models Help in Predicting the Severity of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Phobia, and Depression After Motor Vehicle Accidents? A Prospective Longitudinal Study , 2008, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[16]  Mark A. Neerincx,et al.  Characteristics of Successful Technological Interventions in Mental Resilience Training , 2014, Journal of Medical Systems.

[17]  Béatrice S. Hasler,et al.  Learner Control, Cognitive Load and Instructional Animation , 2007 .

[18]  D. Watson,et al.  Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. , 1988, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[19]  Bryan T. Denny,et al.  Behavioral effects of longitudinal training in cognitive reappraisal. , 2014, Emotion.

[20]  L. Hourani,et al.  Predeployment stress inoculation training for primary prevention of combat-related stress disorders , 2011 .

[21]  Nachshon Meiran,et al.  Reappraisal (but not distraction) is going to make you sweat: physiological evidence for self-control effort. , 2009, International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology.

[22]  Albert A. Rizzo,et al.  STRIVE: Stress Resilience In Virtual Environments: A Pre-Deployment VR System for Training Emotional Coping Skills and Assessing Chronic and Acute Stress Responses , 2012, MMVR.

[23]  C. Lewis,et al.  Psychological therapies for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. , 2013, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[24]  D. Eisenberg,et al.  Mental health problems and help-seeking behavior among college students. , 2010, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[25]  H. Wittchen,et al.  Traumatic events and post‐traumatic stress disorder in the community: prevalence,risk factors and comorbidity , 2000, Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica.

[26]  H. Pashler.  Dual-task interference in simple tasks: data and theory. , 1994, Psychological bulletin.

[27]  François Bernier,et al.  Using Biofeedback while Immersed in a Stressful Videogame Increases the Effectiveness of Stress Management Skills in Soldiers , 2012, PloS one.

[28]  A. Stanton,et al.  The yellow brick road and the emerald city: benefit finding, positive reappraisal coping and posttraumatic growth in women with early-stage breast cancer. , 2003, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[29]  O. John,et al.  Healthy and unhealthy emotion regulation: personality processes, individual differences, and life span development. , 2004, Journal of personality.

[30]  N. Morina,et al.  Co-occurrence of major depressive episode and posttraumatic stress disorder among survivors of war: how is it different from either condition alone? , 2013, The Journal of clinical psychiatry.

[31]  Maren Westphal,et al.  Mental Health in First Responders: A Review and Recommendation for Prevention and Intervention Strategies , 2011 .

[32]  H. Resnick,et al.  Violence and risk of PTSD, major depression, substance abuse/dependence, and comorbidity: results from the National Survey of Adolescents. , 2003, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[33]  Janice R. Kuo,et al.  Emotion Regulation and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Prospective Investigation , 2013 .

[34]  D. Barlow,et al.  The etiology of posttraumatic stress disorder. , 1990 .

[35]  Jay F. Nunamaker,et al.  Instructional video in e-learning: Assessing the impact of interactive video on learning effectiveness , 2006, Inf. Manag..