Mindfulness,Self‐Compassion,Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms,and Functional Disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans |
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| Authors: | Katherine A Dahm Eric C Meyer Kristin D Neff Nathan A Kimbrel Suzy Bird Gulliver Sandra B Morissette |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA;2. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, Texas, USA;3. Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System, Waco, Texas, USA;4. Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA;5. Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA;6. VA Mid‐Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA;7. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA;8. Warriors Research Institute, Baylor Scott and White Healthcare, Waco, Texas, USA |
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| Abstract: | Mindfulness and self‐compassion are overlapping, but distinct constructs that characterize how people relate to emotional distress. Both are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may be related to functional disability. Although self‐compassion includes mindful awareness of emotional distress, it is a broader construct that also includes being kind and supportive to oneself and viewing suffering as part of the shared human experience—a potentially powerful way of dealing with distressing situations. We examined the association of mindfulness and self‐compassion with PTSD symptom severity and functional disability in 115 trauma‐exposed U.S. Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans. Mindfulness and self‐compassion were each uniquely, negatively associated with PTSD symptom severity. After accounting for mindfulness, self‐compassion accounted for unique variance in PTSD symptom severity (f2 = .25; medium ES). After accounting for PTSD symptom severity, mindfulness and self‐compassion were each uniquely negatively associated with functional disability. The combined association of mindfulness and self‐compassion with disability over and above PTSD was large (f2 = .41). After accounting for mindfulness, self‐compassion accounted for unique variance in disability (f2 = .13; small ES). These findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing mindfulness and self‐compassion could potentially decrease functional disability in returning veterans with PTSD symptoms. |
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