The effects of experiential avoidance and attention control on the relationship between mindfulness and PTSD symptom severity in individuals exposed to the February 6 Earthquakes

The concept of mindfulness, which has recently become popular and has taken its place in various psychotherapy applications as well as in meditations, is considered to have a protective function against various negative psychological effects. In this study, the relationship between the level of mindfulness, which is a personality trait, and the severity of PTSD symptoms in individuals exposed to the February 6 earthquakes was examined. In addition, the mediating role of experiential avoidance and the moderator role of attention control were examined in this relationship. The study was conducted with 390 volunteer participants aged between 18 and 65, residing in the provinces where the earthquake occurred before February 6, 2023. Data were collected via the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form (FFMQ-S), Attention Control Scale (ACS), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire 2 (AAQ-2) and demographic form. Structural Equation Modeling was used to evaluate the relationships between the variables. In addition, regulatory effects were evaluated. According to the results of the study, it was determined that there is a strong two-way relationship between mindfulness and PTSD symptom severity. It was determined that experiential avoidance did not have a mediating effect in the relationship between mindfulness and PTSD symptom severity. Again, while attention control did not have a moderating effect in the same relationship, it was observed that the attention focusing dimension of attention control significantly moderated the relationship. The results of the study demonstrate that there is a strong negative relationship between mindfulness and PTSD symptom severity, and this relationship is significantly moderated by the attentional focus dimension of attentional control. Keywords: Mindfulness, PTSD symptom severity, experiential avoidance, attentional control