The Phenomenology of Reactivated Trauma Memories in Older Adults: a Preliminary Study

Empirical literature concerning reactivated memories of trauma among older adults is sparse. Twelve elderly participants with re-emergent, involuntary, memories of previous adversity were given a structured interview exploring phenomenological aspects of the experience. Intense and highly vivid sensory components of memory were common as was a sense of current threat. This was compared with data available from the adult literature on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and we conclude that the process of trauma memory reactivation after years of attenuation seems not to have affected involuntary intrusive representations of what happened. Recommendations to extend the current research are suggested.