Examination of post-traumatic growth, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and neurocognitive flexibility levels in individuals who have experienced a traffic accident

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Pathological responses can occur in the aftermath of traumatic experiences, alongside positive changes in levels of functioning, such as Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). Neurocognitive flexibility involves the adaptive restructuring of information in response to changing conditions. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential impact of neurocognitive flexibility on PTG. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and PTG are examined together. METHODS: A total of 96 volunteers of had a traffic accident, consisting of 43 individuals with a PTSD and 53 without a diagnosis of PTSD, participated in the study. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, Sociodemographic and Trauma-Related Characteristics Data Form, Life Events Checklist for DSM-5, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 42, Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, and Category Fluency Test were used as assessment tools. RESULTS: According to correlation analyses, weak significant relationships were found between the PTG sub-dimension of changes in life philosophy and neurocognitive flexibility scores. Statistically significant relationships were found between PTSD and neurocognitive flexibility scores. However, no significant relationship was found between PTSD and PTG. Linear regression analyses revealed a trend between PTG and Category Fluency scores. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study is the first in Turkey to examine the relationship between PTG and neurocognitive flexibility using neuropsychological tests. Including tests that measure neurocognitive flexibility in future studies with a larger sample size could yield more specific and robust findings. Investigating the impact of neurocognitive flexibility is theoretically important for understanding the cognitive variables that affect PTG and can help plan psychological interventions that encompass neurocognitive flexibility. This study was presented as a Poster Presentation at the 21st National Neuroscience Congress.

Keywords

• cognition
• post-traumatic growth
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• psychological trauma
• traffic accident