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. 2023;14(1):2180947.
doi: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2180947.

Warning signals? An explorative study of distant recollections of the moments before a disaster

Ines Blix  1   2 , Kristin Alve Glad  1 , Marianne Skogbrott Birkeland  1 , Andrea Nordvoll Rustand  1 , Siri Thoresen  1   3
Affiliations

Warning signals? An explorative study of distant recollections of the moments before a disaster

Ines Blix et al. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2023.

Abstract
in English, Spanish, Chinese

Background: How do we remember what happened shortly before a traumatic experience? There has been little focus on the temporal context of trauma memories, but a few studies suggest that aspects of what happened in the moments prior to a traumatic experience may be selectively enhanced and prioritized in memory.Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence, nature, and content of voluntary memories about what happened shortly before a disaster. The participants were individuals who had survived a fire on the passenger ferry Scandinavian Star 26 years earlier.Methods: Data collection took the form of face-to-face interviews. The analysis was carried out in two steps. First, all the narratives from participants who were aged 7 years or older at the time of the fire (N = 86) were coded in terms of the presence of detailed descriptions of what happened before the fire. Next, the narratives that included detailed descriptions of the moments before (N = 28) were included in a thematic analysis, focusing on coding the mode and the content.Results: More than one-third of the participants reported detailed accounts of what happened in the hours, minutes, or seconds before the fire. These memories included detailed descriptions of sensory impressions, dialogues, actions, and thoughts. Two themes stood out in the thematic analysis: (1) unusual observations and danger cues; and (2) counterfactual thoughts.Conclusion: The finding that specific details from the moments before a traumatic event may be vividly recalled indicates that peripheral details of traumatic events can be prioritized in memory. Such details may be interpreted as warning signals. Future research should examine whether such memories might stimulate long-standing thoughts of the world as being dangerous, and hence carry the threat forward in time.

Antecedentes: ¿Cómo recordamos lo que sucedió poco antes de una experiencia traumática? Se ha prestado poca atención al contexto temporal de los recuerdos del trauma, pero algunos estudios sugieren que los aspectos de lo que sucedió en los momentos previos a una experiencia traumática podrían mejorarse y priorizarse selectivamente en la memoria.

Objetivo: El objetivo principal de este estudio fue investigar la ocurrencia, naturaleza y contenido de las memorias voluntarias sobre lo que sucedió poco antes de un desastre. Los participantes fueron personas que sobrevivieron a un incendio en el ferry de pasajeros Scandinavian Star 26 años atrás.

Método: La recolección de datos se hizo mediante entrevistas presenciales. El análisis se llevó a cabo en dos pasos. Primero, todas las narraciones de los participantes que tenían 7 años o más en el momento del incendio (N = 86) se codificaron en términos de la presencia de descripciones detalladas de lo que sucedió antes del incendio. Luego, las narraciones que incluían descripciones detalladas momentos antes (N = 28) se incluyeron en un análisis temático, centrándose en codificar el modo y el contenido.

Resultados: Más de un tercio de los participantes reportaron relatos detallados de lo sucedido en las horas, minutos o segundos previos al incendio. Estos recuerdos incluían descripciones detalladas de impresiones sensoriales, diálogos, acciones y pensamientos. Dos temas se destacaron en el análisis temático: (1) observaciones inusuales y señales de peligro; (2) pensamientos contrafactuales.

Conclusión: Que los detalles específicos de los momentos previos a un evento traumático se puedan recordar vívidamente, indica que los detalles periféricos de los eventos traumáticos se pueden priorizar en la memoria. Tales detalles pueden interpretarse como señales de advertencia. La investigación futura debería examinar si tales recuerdos pudiesen estimular pensamientos antiguos sobre el mundo como peligroso y, por lo tanto, sostener la amenaza en el futuro.

背景：我们如何记住创伤经历之前不久发生的事情？很少有人关注创伤记忆的时间背景，但一些研究表明，创伤经历之前发生事情的各个方面可能会在记忆中被选择性地增强和优先考虑。

目的：本研究主要旨在考查自愿记忆灾难前不久发生事情的发生、性质和内容。 参与者是 26 年前在斯堪的纳维亚之星号客轮上发生火灾的幸存者。

方法：数据收集采用面对面访谈形式。 分两步进行分析。 首先，火灾发生时 7 岁或以上的参与者 (N = 86) 的所有叙述都根据是否有火灾前发生事情的详细描述进行编码。 接下来，将之前包含详细描述的叙述 (N = 28) 纳入到主题分析中，重点对模式和内容进行编码。

结果：超过三分之一的参与者报告了火灾前几小时、几分钟或几秒内发生的事情的详细描述。 这些记忆包括对感官印象、对话、动作和思想的详细描述。 主题分析中突出了两个主题：(1) 不寻常的观察和危险线索 (2) 反事实的想法。

结论：可以生动回忆起创伤事件发生前瞬间的具体细节，表明在记忆中优先考虑了创伤事件相关细节。 这些细节可能被解读为警告信号。 未来的研究应该考查这样的记忆是否会激发长期认为世界是危险的想法，从而不断将威胁传播下去。

Keywords: Trauma; autobiographical memory; estrés post traumático; memoria autobiográfica; memoria traumática; post-traumatic stress; señales de advertencia; trauma narrative; warning signals; 创伤; 创伤后应激; 创伤记忆; 自传记忆; 警告信号.

Plain language summary

A qualitative study exploring the occurrence, nature, and content of memories about what happened shortly before a disaster.For some trauma survivors, experiences or observations shortly before a traumatic event can be vividly recalled in detail, after more than two decades.Such detailed memories of what happened before a traumatic experience may be interpreted as warning signals; furthermore, they may stimulate long-standing thoughts of the world as dangerous, thus carrying the threat forward in time.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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