Acceptance and Action Questionnaire—II scores as a predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among war veterans.

Abstract

Although much is known regarding predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little of this knowledge directly informs treatment. This study examined whether higher scores on the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire—II (AAQ–II), a self-report measure that purportedly assesses experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility, accounted for unique variance in PTSD symptoms compared with personality factors and other established predictors of PTSD. In addition, this study examined whether the construct measured by the AAQ–II accounts for unique variance in PTSD severity over and above the avoidance symptoms of PTSD. A sample of 109 trauma-exposed veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, approximately half of whom met current PTSD criteria on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), completed self-report measures of PTSD, combat exposure, perceived life threat, peritraumatic dissociation, recent life stress, perceived postdeployment social support, and personality. Higher AAQ–II scores, which indicate higher levels of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance, accounted for unique variance in PTSD symptom severity after controlling for all other predictors (small effect size [ES] on the CAPS; large ES on the self-report PTSD measure). Significant effects for AAQ–II scores remained after controlling for the avoidance symptoms of PTSD (small ES on the CAPS; medium ES on the self-report measure). Scores on the AAQ–II appears to be an important predictor of PTSD that warrants further investigation. Research should continue to examine the malleability of the constructs assessed by the AAQ–II, which may be useful targets in treatment.