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Systematic Review of Dispositional Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomology: A Targeted Examination of Avoidance.

Trauma, violence & abuse
October 1, 2024
Allison M Sylvia et al. (4 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to systematically examine the association between dispositional mindfulness and avoidance symptoms in trauma-exposed adults with PTSD.

Results Summary

The study found a weak relationship between mindfulness and effortful avoidance, but stronger associations with hyperarousal and negative alterations in cognition and mood. High effortful avoidance may still occur in patients reporting strong mindfulness skills, suggesting a need for careful clinical assessment.

Population

Trauma-exposed adults with PTSD.

Effective Dosage

Not available

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
transdiagnostic mindfulness-based interventions
decrease
avoidance symptoms
-
-
particularly target
#1
mindfulness
no change
effortful avoidance
trauma-exposed adults
weak
has a weak relationship with
#2
mindfulness
increase
symptoms of hyperarousal
trauma-exposed adults
stronger
appeared to have stronger associations with
#3
mindfulness
increase
negative alterations in cognition and mood
trauma-exposed adults
stronger
appeared to have stronger associations with
#4
Abstract

High rates of nonresponse to evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have fueled the search for improved intervention. Evidence suggests that improvements in dispositional mindfulness (i.e., tendency to attend to the present with nonjudgment and nonreactivity) may help reduce PTSD symptoms. While some research suggests that transdiagnostic mindfulness-based interventions particularly target avoidance symptoms, the association between dispositional mindfulness and avoidance has yet to be systematically examined. To address this gap, we examined peer-reviewed studies that reported quantitative associations between avoidance and dispositional mindfulness among trauma-exposed adults, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2009 guidelines. Sixteen studies were identified for final review from PsycINFO and PubMed databases. Results suggest that mindfulness has a weak relationship with effortful avoidance. This weak relationship may be obscured in studies where effortful avoidance is measured among other symptoms (e.g., anhedonia). Mindfulness appeared to have stronger associations with symptoms of hyperarousal and negative alterations in cognition and mood. An important clinical implication is that high effortful avoidance may manifest among patients who report strong mindfulness skills. It may be helpful for clinicians to carefully assess how mindfulness is being used to cope.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticMindfulnessAvoidance LearningFemaleMaleAdult
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy65/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations1
Citations/Year1.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score2.50
Normalized Score0.61
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