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Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms

Emmanual Ale, Edwin Burns Orcid Logo

PsyArXiv Preprints

Swansea University Author: Edwin Burns Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.31234/osf.io/kj5d3

Abstract

Aphantasia is characterised by a complete, or almost complete, absence of visual imagery. Prior work has hinted that these individuals may experience qualitative alterations in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD) in contrast to neurotypicals. However, higher levels of alexithymia (i.e., di...

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Published in: PsyArXiv Preprints
Published: Center for Open Science
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66615
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first_indexed 2024-07-24T12:54:27Z
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spelling v2 66615 2024-06-10 Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms fd2ee0c494abf5744c49ab6dd1f034bc 0000-0002-5938-5457 Edwin Burns Edwin Burns true false 2024-06-10 PSYS Aphantasia is characterised by a complete, or almost complete, absence of visual imagery. Prior work has hinted that these individuals may experience qualitative alterations in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD) in contrast to neurotypicals. However, higher levels of alexithymia (i.e., difficulties identifying one’s own emotions) and trauma exposure have been linked to PTSD and possibly aphantasia. We therefore wondered if aphantasia would be associated with the most widely used PTSD symptom measures (i.e., the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5: PCL-5; and the International Trauma Questionnaire: ITQ) when alexithymia, trauma levels, sex at birth and age were considered. We replicated prior work in finding alexithymia positively predicts symptoms across all PTSD and complex PTSD measures, their subscales, and their related functional impairments. By contrast, aphantasia was not clearly linked to PTSD symptoms in global PCL-5 or ITQ scores, nor in any of the PCL-5 subscales. Despite this, aphantasia was associated with a reduction in the ITQ’s re-experiencing of traumatic events subscale, and an increase in complex PTSD symptoms, i.e., disturbances in self-organization and its related functional impairments, negative self-concepts, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Given their elevated levels of complex PTSD symptoms, those with aphantasia may require greater support than is currently considered. Moreover, these findings support suggestions that the disturbances in self-organisation associated with complex PTSD may be partially distinct from the core symptoms of PTSD. Journal Article PsyArXiv Preprints Center for Open Science 0 0 0 0001-01-01 10.31234/osf.io/kj5d3 Preprint article before certification by peer review. COLLEGE NANME Psychology School COLLEGE CODE PSYS Swansea University 2024-07-24T13:54:52.7782546 2024-06-10T09:08:40.6623510 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Psychology Emmanual Ale 1 Edwin Burns 0000-0002-5938-5457 2
title Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms
spellingShingle Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms
Edwin Burns
title_short Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms
title_full Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms
title_fullStr Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms
title_full_unstemmed Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms
title_sort Aphantasia and alexithymia predict complex PTSD symptoms
author_id_str_mv fd2ee0c494abf5744c49ab6dd1f034bc
author_id_fullname_str_mv fd2ee0c494abf5744c49ab6dd1f034bc_***_Edwin Burns
author Edwin Burns
author2 Emmanual Ale
Edwin Burns
format Journal article
container_title PsyArXiv Preprints
institution Swansea University
doi_str_mv 10.31234/osf.io/kj5d3
publisher Center for Open Science
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Psychology{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Psychology
document_store_str 0
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description Aphantasia is characterised by a complete, or almost complete, absence of visual imagery. Prior work has hinted that these individuals may experience qualitative alterations in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD) in contrast to neurotypicals. However, higher levels of alexithymia (i.e., difficulties identifying one’s own emotions) and trauma exposure have been linked to PTSD and possibly aphantasia. We therefore wondered if aphantasia would be associated with the most widely used PTSD symptom measures (i.e., the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5: PCL-5; and the International Trauma Questionnaire: ITQ) when alexithymia, trauma levels, sex at birth and age were considered. We replicated prior work in finding alexithymia positively predicts symptoms across all PTSD and complex PTSD measures, their subscales, and their related functional impairments. By contrast, aphantasia was not clearly linked to PTSD symptoms in global PCL-5 or ITQ scores, nor in any of the PCL-5 subscales. Despite this, aphantasia was associated with a reduction in the ITQ’s re-experiencing of traumatic events subscale, and an increase in complex PTSD symptoms, i.e., disturbances in self-organization and its related functional impairments, negative self-concepts, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Given their elevated levels of complex PTSD symptoms, those with aphantasia may require greater support than is currently considered. Moreover, these findings support suggestions that the disturbances in self-organisation associated with complex PTSD may be partially distinct from the core symptoms of PTSD.
published_date 0001-01-01T13:54:51Z
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