Intrusive cognitions, coping strategies and emotional responses in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and a non-clinical population

Patients with major depression but not PTSD, patients with PTSD with or without comorbid depression, and a sample of non-clinical controls, were interviewed about their most prominent intrusive cognition, coping strategies and emotional responses. Evaluative thoughts were more likely to be reported by the depressed sample and the control sample. They were also common in the PTSD group, but other types of intrusions were also common, particularly personal memory. All three groups reported a wide variety of different types of intrusive cognition, both singly and in combination. These included elaborative cognitions, future-oriented thoughts or images that represented an elaboration of a specific personal memory. Cognitions were more frequent, unacceptable, and intrusive in the PTSD group in the month preceding interview, but the two clinical groups did not differ in the use of or effectiveness of coping strategies, or in emotional responses.