Citation

Weiss NH, Schick MR, Contractor AA, Goncharenko S, Raudales AM, Forkus SR. Psychol. Trauma 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/tra0001048

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Theoretical and empirical evidence links emotional avoidance to the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, few studies have tested whether these findings extend to positive emotional avoidance. Addressing this important gap in the literature, the current study examined the moderating role of PTSD symptom severity in the relation between positive emotional intensity and positive emotional avoidance.

METHOD: Participants were 465 trauma-exposed veterans recruited from the community (M(age) = 38.00, 71.6% male, 69.5% White).

RESULTS: The interaction between positive emotional intensity and PTSD symptom severity on positive emotional avoidance was significant. Analysis of simple slopes revealed that positive emotional intensity was significantly positively associated with positive emotional avoidance when participants endorsed high, but not low, levels of PTSD symptom severity.

CONCLUSIONS: Veterans with more severe PTSD symptoms may utilize avoidance strategies in the context of intense positive emotions. These findings may suggest the potential need for addressing positive emotional avoidance in interventions to reduce PTSD symptom severity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en