Makriyianis, H. M., Adams, E. A., Lozano, L. L., Mooney, T. A., Morton, C., & Liss, M. (2019). Psychological inflexibility mediates the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and mental health outcomes. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 14, 82-89.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) lead to negative mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety. Those with more ACEs have an increased risk for these outcomes. Little is known about variables that may mediate the relationship between ACEs and depression and anxiety. Our study investigated psychological flexibility and inflexibility as possible mediators in the relationship between ACEs and depression and anxiety. Specifically, we proposed that having more ACEs would decrease psychological flexibility and increase inflexibility which would, in turn, increase the likelihood of anxiety and depression. College student participants (N = 305) were given the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Scale, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale, along with scales for depression and anxiety. Psychological inflexibility, but not psychological flexibility, was found to be a significant mediator between ACEs and both depression and anxiety. Further analyses found that the subscales of Self as Content and Inaction mediated the relationship to both depression and anxiety. In addition, Fusion mediated the relationship between ACEs and anxiety. Feeling as though one's negative thoughts make one a negative person and feeling unable to act in accordance to one's values may be specific ways in which trauma affects depression and anxiety. Getting stuck in one's thoughts may be an additional mechanism through which trauma may lead to anxiety. Treatment implications are discussed.
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