A preliminary test of the role of experiential avoidance in post-event functioning
Abstract
Experiential avoidance is the unwillingness to experience unwanted thoughts, emotions, or bodily sensations and an individual's attempts to alter, avoid, or escape those experiences. The aim of the current studies was to broaden previous research indicating that experiential avoidance often leads to the development and maintenance of psychological distress. Results indicated that experiential avoidance is significantly correlated with psychological distress and post-traumatic symptomatology over and above other measures of psychological functioning. Limitations and implications for treatment and prevention of psychological distress are discussed.
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Experiential avoidance can paradoxically maintain psychological distress, including symptoms of PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder, among surrogate decision-makers in ICU settings.
“Unsurprisingly, experiential avoidance can paradoxically maintain psychological distress (28, 29), including symptoms of PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder (30, 31) among surrogate decision-makers in ICU settings.”
From EMPOWER: A Multi-Site Pilot Trial to Reduce Distress in Surrogate Decision-Makers in the ICU (2024) · cites this paper as [28]
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“Plumb, Orsillo, and Luterek (2004) reported experiential avoidance predicted posttraumatic symptomology better than other measured psychological processes or the severity of the traumatic incident(s), a finding subsequently corroborated (Land, 2010).”
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“We highlight the role in coping of experiential avoidance, which is the natural tendency to avoid unpleasant feelings and consideration of negative outcomes (Plumb et al., 2004; Gamez et al., 2011, 2014) and which has been associated with PTSD and PGD (Marx and Sloan, 2005; Bishop et al.”
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- Authors
- Plumb, J. C., Orsillo, S. M., & Luterek, J. A.
- Affiliations
- VA Boston Healthcare System (US)
- Boston University (US)
- Temple University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Plumb, Jennifer C
- ORCID
- Orsillo, Susan M
- Venue
- Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-09
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 245-257
- ISSN
- 0005-7916 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1977394642
- Cited by
- 196
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 5.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Oklahoma State University
- International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Keywords
- experiential avoidance, psychological distress, post-traumatic symptoms, trauma, psychological functioning, psychological distress prevention, therapeutic implications
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Escape Reaction, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Time Factors
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