Effects of traumatic experiences on obsessive-compulsive and internalizing symptoms: The role of avoidance and mindfulness.
Emily B Kroska, Michelle L Miller, Anne I Roche, Sydney K Kroska, Michael W O'Hara
Journal of Affective Disorders January 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.039 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional mediation study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 451 |
| Population | At-risk adolescents (N = 51) and college students (N = 400) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Experiential avoidance Internalizing Obsessive-compulsive Trauma |
| Key findings | Experiential avoidance and mindfulness processes significantly mediated the association between childhood trauma and OC symptoms in at-risk adolescents, and experiential avoidance mediated this association in college students. Experiential avoidance and the observe, act with awareness, and nonjudgmental mindfulness facets also mediated the trauma–internalizing symptoms association. The authors propose these as potential mechanisms and clinical intervention targets. |
Abstract
Trauma exposure is associated with adverse psychological outcomes including anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Adolescence is increasingly recognized as a period of vulnerability for the onset of these types of psychological symptoms. The current study explored the mediating roles of experiential avoidance and mindfulness processes in the association between retrospective reports of childhood trauma and current internalizing and OC symptoms in adolescents. A group of at-risk adolescents (N = 51) and a group of college students (N = 400) reported on childhood trauma, experiential avoidance, mindfulness, anxiety, depressive, and OC symptoms. Mediation analyses were performed to examine the mechanistic roles of avoidance and mindfulness in the association between trauma and internalizing and OC-specific symptoms. In the group of at-risk adolescents, experiential avoidance and mindfulness both significantly mediated the association between childhood trauma and OC symptoms. In the college student sample, experiential avoidance mediated the association between trauma and OC symptoms. Experiential avoidance, as well as the observe, act with awareness, and nonjudgmental facets of mindfulness all significantly mediated the association between trauma and internalizing symptoms. The group of at-risk adolescents was small, and the college student group was demographically homogeneous. All data was self-report and cross-sectional. The current study demonstrated that experiential avoidance and mindfulness processes may be the mechanisms through which the association between trauma and obsessive-compulsive and trauma and internalizing symptoms exist in adolescents. These findings provide potential targets for clinical intervention to improve outcomes for adolescents who have experienced trauma.