Psychological flexibility and ostracism: Experiential avoidance rather than cognitive fusion moderates distress from perceived ostracism over time

Rumination Mediates the Relationship Between Childhood Traumas with Cognitive Defusion, Acceptance, and Emotion Regulation: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study

This study examines the intermediary role of rumination in the relationship between childhood traumas in young adults and cognitive defusion, psychological acceptance, and suppression which is one of the emotion regulation strategies. In the quantitative stage of the study formed according to the explanatory sequential design, the intermediary role of rumination by using a structural equation model while in the qualitative stage, the intermediary role of rumination was analyzed through interviews using the interpretive phenomenology design. Personal Information Form, Childhood Trauma Scale, Short Form Ruminative Response Scale, Acceptance and Action Form II, Drexel Defusion Scale, and Emotion Regulation Scale were used in the research. At the end of the research, it was determined that childhood traumas have a negative effect on cognitive defusion and acceptance, while they have a positive effect on suppression. It was seen that rumination has a partial intermediary role in the relationship of childhood traumas with cognitive defusion, acceptance, and suppression. As a result of the qualitative analysis, twelve themes such as "Constantly thinking about the past, not being able to move away from childhood traumas, not being able to forgive their parents, inability to get rid of negative thoughts, living in the past, moving away from a value-driven life, false expression of emotion, suppression of emotions, emotions reflected in behavior, coping with negative emotions and desired emotion regulation" emerged concerning participants' experiences of cognitive defusion, acceptance, and suppression. Although one of the purposes of using AAQ-II in the study was to support discussions about the scale via qualitative results, this was a limitation for the study. Therefore, although a high rate was obtained, it is not possible to infer that childhood traumas and rumination can explain acceptance behaviors. For this, much more quantitative and qualitative studies are needed. Other qualitative research findings are thought to support quantitative research findings.

Prospective examination of the therapeutic role of psychological flexibility and cognitive reappraisal in the ceremonial use of ayahuasca

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapy carries transdiagnostic efficacy in the treatment of mental health conditions characterized by low mood and the use of avoidance coping strategies.

AIMS

While preliminary evidence suggests that psychological flexibility and emotion regulation processes play an important role within psychedelic therapy, this prospective study addressed methodological gaps in the literature and examined the ability of ayahuasca to stimulate acute states of cognitive reappraisal and long-term changes in psychological flexibility and mood. The study also explored whether moderating factors predisposed participants to experience therapeutic changes.

METHODS

Participants (N = 261) were recruited from three Shipibo ayahuasca retreat centers in Central and South America and completed assessments on mood, psychological flexibility, and acute ceremonial factors. Expectancy, demand characteristics, and invalid responding were controlled for with several validity scales.

RESULTS/OUTCOMES

Participants reported significant reductions in negative mood after three months, as well as increases in positive mood and psychological flexibility. Acute experiences of reappraisal during the ayahuasca ceremony exerted the strongest moderating effects on increases in positive mood and psychological flexibility. Increases in psychological flexibility statistically mediated the effects of acute psychological factors, including reappraisal, on changes in positive mood.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

These results highlight the role of acute psychological processes, such as reappraisal, and post-acute increases in psychological flexibility as putative mechanisms underlying positive outcomes associated with psychedelics. These results also provide support for the integration of third-wave and mindfulness-based therapy approaches with psychedelic-assisted interventions.

The mediating role of personalized psychological flexibility in the association between distress intolerance and psychological distress: A national survey during the fourth waves of COVID-19 pandemic in Iran

The global COVID‐19 outbreak has put the human race's distress tolerance abilities to the test. And, the distress experienced getting worse with each pandemic wave; however, the more flexible the person, the greater the chance of surviving. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the mediating role of personalized psychological flexibility (PPF) in the link between distress intolerance to psychological distress during the fourth wave of the pandemic in Iran. A total of 576 individuals (Mean_age 34.80, ±10.9, females 55.6%) took part in the online survey. In this national sample, PPF partially played a role in mediating the association mentioned above. Interestingly, this mediation was independent of demographic factors (age, gender, marital status, and educational level) and fear of COVID‐19, mindfulness, and satisfaction with life. So, despite the mentioned variables, accepting and using unpleasant emotions as fuel to achieve valued goals rather than avoiding them would mitigate the psychological distress during the pandemic. Consequently, public health services can aim to provide psychological flexibility enhancing interventions to decay COVID‐19‐related mental distress.

Attending to the Ignored

Abstract. Ostracism – being excluded and ignored – has received considerable attention in social psychology in the past few decades. Experimental evidence suggests that negative psychological reactions to ostracism are robust and widespread. Initially, ostracism is detected quickly as painful and reduces the satisfaction of four fundamental needs: belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. When ostracism is experienced occasionally, individuals tend to respond and cope by trying to fortify the threatened needs, either by attempting to improve their inclusionary status (fortifying belonging and self-esteem by being more likable, agreeable, and pliable), by exerting more control and attention (by becoming more provocative, noticeable, but also sometimes more aggressive and violent), or by reducing future episodes of ostracism by seeking solitude. Persistent or long-term exposure to ostracism results in decreased coping attempts, and higher rates of alienation, depression, learned helplessness, and unworthiness. In this article, we integrate these findings with clinical theory and practice, seeking to apply experimental results to therapeutic applications.

Cognitive arousal mediates the relationship between perceived ostracism and sleep quality but it is not moderated by experiential avoidance

Previous research suggests that longer-term perceived ostracism is related to poor sleep quality. In this study, we investigated the mediating effect of cognitive arousal on the perceived ostracism-sleep quality relationship. We also investigated whether experiential avoidance was a moderator of the cognitive arousal-sleep quality relationship. Participants (N = 251) were recruited through online research portals to take part in an online survey. A path analysis was used to test a moderated mediation effect between variables. It was found that cognitive arousal mediated the perceived ostracism-sleep quality relationship; however, experiential avoidance was not a significant moderator. These findings suggest that further research needs to be conducted to elucidate the mechanism of experiential avoidance to account for when it may impact sleep quality. Moreover, treatment interventions targeted at reducing cognitive arousal (e.g., cognitive behavioural therapy) prior to sleep are likely to bear some fruit.

Social Support Versus Emotion Regulation: Mediators of Attachment and Psychological Problems After Social Exclusion

Introduction: Secure parental attachment improves the perception of available social support and the socialization of emotion regulation strategies. Research has suggested that both perceived social support and emotion regulation help individuals reappraise stressful situations as less stressful. Individuals under stress are at an increased risk for psychological problems.

Method: The current study examined whether social support, emotion regulation, and psychological inflexibility mediated the relation between parental attachment and psychological problems after a social exclusion task.

Results: Results indicated that secure parental attachment was associated with an increased ability to up-regulate emotions and with an increase in the perception of available social support. Secure attachment to either parent was indirectly associated with psychological problems reported after social exclusion.

Discussion: Indirect effects were found only for pathways from attachment through emotion regulation strategies, which suggests that emotion regulation may be a driving factor between attachment to parental figures and stress induced psychological problems. Further results, limitations, and implications were discussed.

Profiles of Psychological Flexibility: A Latent Class Analysis of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Model

There exists uncertainty for clinicians over how the separate subcomponent processes of psychological flexibility, a core construct of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy model, interact and influence distress experienced. The present study (N = 567) employed latent class analysis to (a) identify potential classes (i.e., subgroups) of psychological flexibility based on responses on measures of key subcomponent process and (b) examine whether such classes could reliably differentiate levels of self-reported psychological distress and positive and negative emotionality. We found three distinct classes: (a) High Psychological Flexibility, (b) Moderate Psychological Flexibility, and (c) Low Psychological Flexibility. Those in the Low Psychology Flexibility class reported highest levels of psychological distress, whereas those in the High Psychological Flexibility class reported lowest levels of psychological distress. This study provides a clearer view to clinicians of the profile of the broader spectrum of the psychological flexibility model to facilitate change in clients.