Recall bias in trauma recollection

Abstract EN

Introduction : published studies assessing recall of traumatic memories were reviewed to understand the changes and the factors affecting recall.

objectives : the current review examined the nature, evolution, causes, and factors that contribute to traumatic memory inconsistencies, also referred to as traumatic recall bias, in survivors of natural and manmade disasters.

methods : articles were identified using sciencedirect, pubmed, research gate, springer link, and google scholar.

these were assessed for eligibility, filtered, and presented in a table.

results : in total, 19 out of 109 studies were selected.

the studies assessed veterans, witnesses of the world trade center attack, witnesses of natural disaster, witnesses of a school shooting, motor accident survivors, and participants in an experimental study.

prominent findings associated with traumatic recall bias were media coverage, psychopathology, increase in ptsd symptoms, and possible cognitive distortions (memory deletion, memory creation) as a result of trauma.

conclusions: multiple common factors may affect trauma recollection.

further research is needed to uncover other factors associated with memory deletion, false memories, and memory inconsistencies.

a prospective longitudinal study, designed specifically for that purpose, may better follow the evolution of traumatic memory recollection in survivors immediately after an event and in the years following.

this may include tools to assess participants’ changes in recall by inquiring about the reasons for their altered responses.