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Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity in Urban African-American High School Students
Jacob C S Schmitz1, Jason M Prenoveau2, Alison A Papadakis3
1Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1308 Sherwood Avenue, Box 980489, Richmond, VA, 23220, USA. Jacob.Schmitz@vcuhealth.org.
Objectives:
The aim of the current study was to examine the relations among mindfulness, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, and stressful life events (SLEs) in African-American urban adolescents. Another aim was to examine mindfulness as a moderator of the relation between SLEs and PTSD symptom severity in this population.
Method:
Eighty-eight African-American high school students from a low-income urban community completed measures of demographics, PTSD symptom severity, SLEs, and mindfulness.
Results:
Mindfulness was significantly negatively related to PTSD symptom severity, r(86) = -.70, p < .001, 95% CI [-.58, -79], and SLEs were significantly positively related to PTSD symptom severity, r(86) = .29, p = .003, 95% CI [.09, .47]. Mindfulness was an independent predictor of PTSD symptom severity after accounting for SLEs, B = -1.16, t(84) = -9.06, p < .001, 95% CI [-1.41, -0.90], and SLEs were an independent predictor of PTSD symptom severity after accounting for mindfulness, B = 0.49, t(84) = 2.92, p = .004, 95% CI [0.16, 0.82]. Mindfulness did not moderate the relation between SLEs and PTSD symptom severity, B = -.003, t(84) = -0.15, p = .89, 95% CI [-.04, .03].
Implications:
This study has implications for both mindfulness as a potential protective factor against PTSD symptom severity and SLEs as a potential risk factor for increased PTSD symptom severity in African-American urban adolescents.
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