Land, K. M. (2010). Examining the role of experiential avoidance specific to post-trauma symptoms. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Alliant International University, San Francisco, CA.
Trauma-specific experiential avoidance was tested as a moderator between trauma intensity and post-trauma symptoms. Second, a recently developed trauma-specific experiential avoidance measure was compared to a general experiential avoidance measure in its ability to predict PTSD symptoms. The research participants were 386 undergraduates enrolled in psychology courses at Valdosta State University. Participants completed the Traumatic Events Questionnaire, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Trauma Specific (AAQ-TS), and PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version. Results demonstrated that trauma-specific experiential avoidance does moderate the relationship between trauma exposure and post-trauma symptom severity. Those with high levels of trauma-specific experiential avoidance endorsed more post-trauma symptoms as trauma exposure increased, while individuals with low experiential avoidance rated post-trauma symptoms less severe regardless of level of trauma exposure. The AAQ-TS was more strongly correlated with post-trauma symptom severity than the AAQ and a stronger predictor of post-trauma symptoms. These results are discussed in the context of explaining the discrepancy between individuals who develop PTSD symptoms and those who do not after exposure to a traumatic event as well as implications for effective treatments for PTSD, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.