Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Functional Disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dahm, KA; Meyer, EC; Neff, KD; Kimbrel, NA; Gulliver, SB; Morissette, SB
Published in: J Trauma Stress
October 2015

Mindfulness and self-compassion are overlapping, but distinct constructs that characterize how people relate to emotional distress. Both are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may be related to functional disability. Although self-compassion includes mindful awareness of emotional distress, it is a broader construct that also includes being kind and supportive to oneself and viewing suffering as part of the shared human experience--a potentially powerful way of dealing with distressing situations. We examined the association of mindfulness and self-compassion with PTSD symptom severity and functional disability in 115 trauma-exposed U.S. Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans. Mindfulness and self-compassion were each uniquely, negatively associated with PTSD symptom severity. After accounting for mindfulness, self-compassion accounted for unique variance in PTSD symptom severity (f(2) = .25; medium ES). After accounting for PTSD symptom severity, mindfulness and self-compassion were each uniquely negatively associated with functional disability. The combined association of mindfulness and self-compassion with disability over and above PTSD was large (f(2) = .41). After accounting for mindfulness, self-compassion accounted for unique variance in disability (f(2) = .13; small ES). These findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing mindfulness and self-compassion could potentially decrease functional disability in returning veterans with PTSD symptoms.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

J Trauma Stress

DOI

EISSN

1573-6598

Publication Date

October 2015

Volume

28

Issue

5

Start / End Page

460 / 464

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Self Report
  • Self Care
  • Regression Analysis
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Dahm, K. A., Meyer, E. C., Neff, K. D., Kimbrel, N. A., Gulliver, S. B., & Morissette, S. B. (2015). Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Functional Disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans. J Trauma Stress, 28(5), 460–464. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22045
Dahm, Katherine A., Eric C. Meyer, Kristin D. Neff, Nathan A. Kimbrel, Suzy Bird Gulliver, and Sandra B. Morissette. “Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Functional Disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans.J Trauma Stress 28, no. 5 (October 2015): 460–64. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22045.
Dahm KA, Meyer EC, Neff KD, Kimbrel NA, Gulliver SB, Morissette SB. Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Functional Disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans. J Trauma Stress. 2015 Oct;28(5):460–4.
Dahm, Katherine A., et al. “Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Functional Disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans.J Trauma Stress, vol. 28, no. 5, Oct. 2015, pp. 460–64. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/jts.22045.
Dahm KA, Meyer EC, Neff KD, Kimbrel NA, Gulliver SB, Morissette SB. Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Functional Disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans. J Trauma Stress. 2015 Oct;28(5):460–464.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Trauma Stress

DOI

EISSN

1573-6598

Publication Date

October 2015

Volume

28

Issue

5

Start / End Page

460 / 464

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Self Report
  • Self Care
  • Regression Analysis
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales