Self-Compassion and Psychological Flexibility in a Treatment-Seeking Sample of Women Survivors of Interpersonal Violence.

Interpersonal violence is pervasive and is related to numerous negative psychological outcomes. This study examines self-compassion and psychological flexibility as potential protective factors for the range of diverse problems associated with interpersonal trauma. A community sample of 27 women (mean age = 37.

Acceptance and commitment therapy as a nonpathologizing intervention approach for survivors of trauma.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2012) is proposed as a nonpathologizing approach to trauma-related problems. ACT has at its core a functional approach to understanding the human condition such that problems are maintained by functional processes, such as avoidance. Treatment focuses on these processes to institute change, stepping away from directly pursuing symptoms as an evaluative outcome.

Reaction to stressful life events: what predicts symptom severity?

This study examined the effect of Criterion A and non-Criterion A (as defined by the DSM-IV-TR) events on symptomatology related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Two hundred and forty-one college students completed a series of questionnaires related to symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, psychological processes and psychopathology. Participants were divided into two groups: those that experienced a Criterion A traumatic life event as defined by the DSM-IV-TR, and those that experienced a non-Criterion A event.

Adult disclosure of a history of childhood sexual abuse: implications for behavioral psychotherapy.

This article presents a behavioral conceptualization of the difficulties associated with adult disclosure in psychotherapy of a history of childhood sexual abuse. Using a contemporary behavioral perspective and a functional analysis of various clinical presentations, we examine the factors that may contribute to nondisclosure of a history of abuse. Traumagenic dynamics are used to frame a discussion of childhood factors that may further influence disclosure of abuse.

Sexual victimization and physical health: an examination of explanatory mechanisms.

There is a growing body of research illustrating a significant relationship between a history of sexual victimization and the development of physical health problems; however, few researchers have examined variables that mediate this relationship. The present study examined two potential mediating variables: experiential avoidance and current stress. Results indicated that current stress significantly mediated the relationship between adult sexual assault and physical health complaints, and experiential avoidance may be a partial mediator.

Sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction among women who report a history of childhood and/or adolescent sexual abuse.

This study examined the relationship between sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and predictor variables (experiential avoidance, relationship violence, relationship satisfaction, anger, and psychological distress) in 22 women reporting a history of childhood and/or adolescent sexual abuse. Sexual satisfaction correlated significantly with all predictor variables. Sexual functioning correlated significantly with relationship violence only.

Thought suppression mediates the relationship between negative mood and PTSD in sexually assaulted women.

Sexually victimized individuals often report chronic attempts to avoid unpleasant internal experiences (e.g., thoughts, emotions, memories) as a means of affect regulation.

The effects of sexual assault-related intrusion suppression in the laboratory and natural environment.

Individuals with a history of sexual victimization often experience enduring intrusive thoughts associated with their assault history. Research suggests that the characteristic ways in which sexually assaulted individuals respond to aversive internal experiences (i.e.

Chronic avoidance helps explain the relationship between severity of childhood sexual abuse and psychological distress in adulthood.

Recent studies have found that chronic avoidance of unpleasant internal experiences (e.g., thoughts, emotions, memories) is a maladaptive means of affect regulation often adopted by women with a history of sexual victimization in childhood.

Vicarious traumatization: potential hazards and interventions for disaster and trauma workers.

Disaster and trauma workers often disregard their own reactions and needs when focusing on caring for those directly exposed to traumatic events. This article discusses the concept of vicarious traumatization, a form of post-traumatic stress response sometimes experienced by those who indirectly are exposed to traumatic events. It includes an examination of how vicarious trauma reactions are experienced across different professions, and suggestions on how to limit or prevent vicarious traumatization.

Experimental avoidance as a mediator of the effects of adolescent sexual victimization on negative adult outcomes.

The study examined experiential avoidance as a mediator between sexual victimization and negative adult outcomes. Baron and Kenny's (1986) regression analyses were performed on a sample of 304 undergraduate women to assess direct and indirect effects of sexual victimization on depressive, psychological distress, and alcohol abuse symptoms. Experiential avoidance accounted for statistically significant, but modest effects of victimization on depressive and distress symptoms.

Experimental avoidance and high-risk sexual behavior in survivors of child sexual abuse.

While many long-term correlates of child sexual abuse (CSA) have been identified, theories to explain the development of these correlates have received little empirical validation. The process of experiential avoidance is one theory that has been proposed to account for many of the correlates of CSA. The purpose of the current study was twofold: (1) To attempt to develop a more complex measure of experiential avoidance in women with and without a CSA history, and (2) to explore variables related to two of the long-term correlates of CSA, general psychological distress and high risk sexual behavior.

Sexual functioning in women reporting a history of child sexual abuse: review of the empirical literature and clinical implications.

Researchers have frequently linked childhood sexual abuse (CSA) with some form of adult sexual disturbance. Unfortunately, research on how to treat sexual dysfunctions in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse has lagged behind. In this article, we review the literature concerning childhood sexual abuse and sexual dysfunction.

Childhood sexual abuse and couples' relationships: female survivors' reports in therapy groups.

Therapy videotapes from five therapy groups for female child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors were analyzed for emerging themes of couples' difficulties reported by clients. Subsequently, the thematic categories were applied to sessions selected from an additional four groups and then correlated with CSA-specific variables. The two most frequent relationship themes were difficulties with emotional communication or intimacy, and polarized positions on control.

MMPI-2 profiles of adult women with child sexual abuse histories: cluster-analytic findings.

This study used a cluster analysis to examine the clinical profiles of female survivors of child sexual abuse. Eighty-five participants who presented for group therapy to deal specifically with issues related to sexual abuse completed the revised version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2; J. N.

Experimental avoidance and behavioral disorders: a functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment.

Syndromal classification is a well-developed diagnostic system but has failed to deliver on its promise of the identification of functional pathological processes. Functional analysis is tightly connected to treatment but has failed to develop testable, replicable classification systems. Functional diagnostic dimensions are suggested as a way to develop the functional classification approach, and experiential avoidance is described as 1 such dimension.

Cumulative trauma: the impact of child sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, and spouse abuse.

The present study investigated the relationship between trauma symptoms and a history of child sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, and physical abuse by a partner as an adult. While there has been some research examining the correlation between individual victimization experiences and traumatic stress, the cumulative impact of multiple victimization experiences has not been addressed. Subjects were recruited from psychological clinics and community advocacy agencies.

A behavior-analytic view of psychological health.

This paper argues that a behavioral analysis of psychological health is useful and appropriate. Such an analysis will allow us to better evaluate intervention outcomes without resorting only to the assessment of pathological behavior, thus providing an alternative to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual system of conceptualizing behavior. The goals of such an analysis are to distinguish between people and outcomes using each term of the three-term contingency as a dimension to consider.

Individual predictors of outcome in group treatment for incest survivors.

Sixty-five abused women who participated in time-limited group therapy were evaluated before treatment on demographic variables, sexual abuse history, characteristics of the family of origin, and initial levels of depression and distress. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine the impact of these variables on response to treatment. Results suggest that education, marital status, type of sexual contact, and initial levels of depression and distress predicted response to treatment.

Marital therapy for sexual abuse survivors.

Sexual abuse often makes a serious impact on interpersonal relationships. This chapter addresses treatment of marital issues when one member is a survivor of child sexual abuse.

A comparison of group treatments of women sexually abused as children.

We randomly assigned 65 women who had been sexually abused by a father, stepfather, or other close relative to 1 of 3 treatment conditions: a 10-week interpersonal transaction (IT) group, a 10-week process group, or a wait list condition. Subjects were evaluated at pretreatment, posttreatment, and (if assigned to a group) a 6-month follow-up on measures of social adjustment, depression, fearfulness, and general distress. Results suggested that both the IT and process group formats were more effective than the wait list condition in reducing depression and in alleviating distress; changes were maintained at follow-up.

Research-structured vs clinically flexible versions of social learning-based marital therapy.

The purpose of this study was to compare our structured research-based version of marital therapy from a social learning perspective with a clinically flexible version of the same treatment where treatment plans were individually-based and there was no specific number of treatment sessions. Thirty distressed married couples were randomly assigned to one of these two treatments. Assessment of outcome was based on global marital satisfaction, spouse reports of functioning in specific areas, and direct observational measures of communication.

Importance of attributions as a predictor of how people cope with failure.

This study examined the extent to which causal attributions were predictive of depressed mood in college students who experienced a negative event. In a replication and extension of a study by Metalsky, Abramson, Seligman, Semmel, and Peterson (1982), we evaluated students' attributional style and their attributions for an examination performance in the college classroom. Additionally, an indirect probe was used to assess unsolicited attributions.