trauma

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is based on the psychological flexibility model, underpinned by six core processes: co

The literature overwhelmingly demonstrates that Black Americans experience racism frequently and across contexts. Moreover, these frequent and pervasive experiences have deleterious mental health consequences, including trauma symptoms. The current study explores self-compassion as a moderator in the relation between racial microaggressions and trauma symptoms in a Black sample. Participants were 202 individuals who self-identified as Black (including those who identified as multiracial, inclusive of Black racial identification). Participants ranged in age from 18 to 63. A cross-sectional survey was used to examine the moderating role of self-compassion in the relation between racial microaggressions (RMAS) and trauma symptoms (PCL-5…

Refugees are vulnerable to developing mental health problems. The unprecedented appearance and rapid spread of COVID-19 exacerbated this vulnerability, especially in low-income countries where refugees survive on humanitarian aid and live in congested settlements. These appalling living conditions are a stressor, making adherence to COVID-19 control measures impractical and an additional psychological strain for refugees. The present study examined how psychological inflexibility is associated with adherence to COVID-19 control measures. A sample of 352 refugees from Kampala City and Bidibidi settlements were recruited.

The COVID-19 pandemic evokes high levels of post-traumatic stress (PTS) in some people as well as positive personal changes, a phenomenon known as post-traumatic growth (PTG). Experiencing an adverse event as traumatic is crucial for triggering PTG, therefore higher PTS is often associated with higher PTG. This longitudinal study examined the protective role of psychological flexibility in fostering PTG in a group of people reporting high PTS related to COVID-19 as compared to those with low PTS. We hypothesized that higher psychological flexibility will be associated with higher PTG in those with high PTS and that psychological flexibility would be unrelated to PTG in those with low PTS.

Although numerous studies on experiential avoidance and its relationship to psychopathology have been conducted, systematic summaries of this research are lacking. The current systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the transdiagnostic role of experiential avoidance across depression, anxiety and related disorders (obsessive-compulsive and related disorders [OCRDs] and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) as well as potential moderators of these relations. A total of 441 eligible studies including 135,347 participants (66.16% female, mean age = 31.53) and 899 effect-sizes were summarized.

Contextual specificity is vital when examining emotion regulation (ER) strategies. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and cognitive impact of the ER strategies of acceptance and humor, compared with a control condition using an online experimental trauma analogue paradigm. A total of 228 university students were randomised to one of the three conditions: acceptance, humor, or a control group, and then viewed a trauma-analogue video. Contrary to expectations, results revealed no significant differences between groups in terms of down regulating negative affect.

There is a dearth of psychological intervention research to guide clinicians in supporting individuals who are impacted by systemic racism. Internalized racial oppression, adopting the negative beliefs about one’s group, is one pathway through which racism affects mental health. Techniques from Acceptance Commitment Therapy have been found to decrease internalized self-stigma and to mitigate negative mental health symptoms. The current pilot study examined the feasibility of a group-based intervention for Black women targeting internalized racial oppression. We found pre-post decreases in internalized racial oppression and shame, and psychological distress.