ABSTRACT
Stressful and traumatic life events are often followed by intrusive thoughts about these events or their aftermath (Goodhart, 1985; Ingram, 1984; Sarason, Potter, & Sarason, 1986). Defined as repetitive thoughts, images, memories, or impulses that are usually uncontrollable, or both, unwanted, intrusive thoughts have been linked with subjective and psychophysiological disturbances and may be triggered by both internal and external stimuli (Horowitz, 1970; Rachman, 1981). Intrusive thoughts have been associated with a wide range of stressors and have been linked to distress in studies of disasters (Horowitz, 1985), bereavement (Lehman, Wortman, & Williams, 1987), physically disabled traffic accident victims (Silver, Wortman, & Klos, 1982), women who were incest victims (Silver, Boon, & Stones, 1983), and young women following hysterectomy (Vincent, Vincent, Griess, et al., 1975; Kaltreider, Wallace, & Horowitz, 1979). It can be concluded, then, that intrusive thoughts are associated with the experience of stress, and a link between such intrusions and chronic distress is evident. However, the nature and mechanisms of these effects on chronic stress are not clearly drawn. This chapter considers some of the basic links between intrusive thoughts or memories and chronic stress.
