The Temporal Dynamics between Intrusion Frequency and Distress following Analog Trauma: A Mini Meta-Analysis

Distressing intrusions are a hallmark symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thismini meta-analysis examined how the subjective distress of intrusive memories may shapetheir temporal dynamics, guided by the Retrieval-Based Feedback Loop Model (Marks et al.,2018). Primary datasets from six analog experimental studies were combined and reanalyzed,including a total of N = 513 participants who reported 2,573 intrusions. In thesestudies, either the trauma film paradigm (TFP) was used to induce analog trauma orparticipants reactivated a distressing life event, followed by a cognitive manipulationtargeting expectancies and appraisals. Participants recorded their intrusions and associateddistress in diaries. Using a recurrent time-to-event framework, intervals between consecutiveintrusions were modeled as a function of standardized distress ratings. Results showed thathigher distress reliably predicted shorter intervals between intrusions, and the estimatedWeibull shape parameter indicated that intrusion likelihood accelerated over time. However,between-study variability highlighted potential contextual and methodological influences.Overall, findings suggest that distress not only accompanies intrusive memories but mayactively drive their recurrence, indicating that both intrusion frequency and distress areimportant therapeutic targets.