Long-term Effects of Trauma Exposure on Inhibition and Rumination among Utøya Survivors

The aim of the present study was to examine long terms effects of trauma exposure on inhibition and rumination in adolescent survivors of the terror at Utøya 22nd of July, 2011. Exposure to trauma is associated with impairments in executive function. Inhibition is a core component of executive functioning, and these functions are essential for adequate adjustment in everyday life. Poor inhibitory abilities relate to increased rumination. It is relevant to explore the effects of trauma exposure in adolescents, as acquisition of inhibitory skills represents a central aspect of this developmental phase. In this cross-sectional case- control study, 20 trauma exposed adolescents and 20 controls were compared on neuropsychological tests of inhibition and self-report measures of inhibition and rumination. Follow-up analyses of subgroups were conducted to assess differences in inhibition and rumination related to PTSD symptomatology. Analyses revealed associations between impaired inhibition and more severe PTSD symptomatology. Trauma exposed subjects reported significantly more problems with rumination than non-exposed controls. All reported results were significant with alpha level p.05, and effect sizes were large for all significant results (n.14). We conclude that impaired inhibition is more related to PTSD symptomatology than mere trauma exposure, and that trauma-related rumination appears to be less dependent on PTSD symptomatology. Findings suggest that inhibitory dysfunctions may be a risk factor and consequence of PTSD symptomatology in trauma exposed adolescents. Longitudinal designs are warranted to further investigate effects of trauma in a broader developmental context