The study of autobiographical memory and identity processing styles in Afghan immigrant adolescents suffering from post–traumatic stress disorder

This study aims to investigate autobiographical memory and identity styles in Afghan immigrant adolescent with post–traumatic stress disorder.

There are three groups in this causal-comparative study (18 control subjects, 14 Non-PTSD, and 16 PTSD subjects). Subjects were recruited by using Semi-Structural Interview for PTSD, The Impact of Event Scale–Revised, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Children Depression Scale, Autobiographical Memory Test, and Berzonsky’s Identity Style Inventory. To analyze data, one-way covariance and one-way variance analysis were used.

There was a significant difference between autobiographical memory among immigrant adolescents with PTSD, Non-PTSD and control group. Beside, these groups had a significant difference in depression and anxiety levels. But there was no significant relation between identity and autobiographical memory.

The results of this study revealed that performance of Afghan immigrant adolescents with PTSD in special retrieval of autobiographical memory items is weaker than control and Non-PTSD groups. However, the variance analyze have shown that there was no significant difference in terms of identity style among these three groups. Problems in retrieving autobiographical memory information were not related to identifying style in this group of Afghan immigrant adolescents.