Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Experiential avoidance as a mediator of the association between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and social
Megan M Kelly1, Bryann B DeBeer2, Eric C Meyer2
1VISN 1 New England Center of Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center.
Objective:
Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience difficulties with social reintegration after deployment. Experiential avoidance, the tendency to avoid unwanted thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations (including in response to interactions with others) may be a key factor that explains the association between PTSD symptoms and postdeployment social support. The present study evaluated whether experiential avoidance mediates the association between PTSD symptoms and perceptions of postdeployment social support.
Method:
Veterans (n = 145) who served in support of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan were enrolled in a study evaluating returning veterans' experiences. Participants were evaluated at an initial baseline assessment and 8-months later. Participants completed the lifetime Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II at baseline, as well as the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-Post Deployment Social Support Questionnaire at the 8-month assessment.
Results:
Baseline experiential avoidance mediated the association between lifetime PTSD symptoms and 8-month social support.
Conclusions:
Experiential avoidance may be an important target for treatment to improve long-term functional recovery and reintegration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Related Concept Videos
Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
Social Anxiety Disorder
Longitudinal Research
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Social Proof
Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

