Subclinical Sample Research Articles

The rhythm of mental health: the relationship of chronotype with psychiatric trait dimensions and diurnal variation in psychiatric symptoms

To advance the emergence of circadian-based therapies, this study characterized how psychiatric symptoms fluctuate across the day and vary between individuals. Using a dimensional approach, we determined how chronotype relates to 13 psychiatric traits, and modeled the temporal development of symptoms throughout the day using generalized additive mixed effects models. In this preregistered study, a subclinical sample completed 13 psychiatric trait scales and a chronotype scale at baseline (N = 515, n = 404 women, 109 men, n = 2 non-binary, M age = 32.4 years, range 18–77), followed by 22 psychiatric symptoms and behaviors rated repeatedly between ~08:00-00:00 (n = 410). Key findings are that 11 out of 13 psychiatric traits were associated with being an evening-type, ranging from depression to obsessive comulsive disorder, social anxiety, and delusional ideation, while only mania was associated with being a morning-type. Four distinct psychiatric trait factors were identified, each predicting worse symptom levels throughout the day. Fatigue-related symptoms exhibited strong time-of-day changes with evening-types experiencing worse fatigue in the morning and morning-types in the evening. Evening-types had considerably lower drive and motivation than morning-types from morning to early evening. Evening-types also had more pronounced negative emotional symptoms and ADHD-type symptoms in the evening, particularly among those high in psychiatric trait factors. These findings identified important research targets that hold promise for improving mental health outcomes, such as strategies to boost morning motivation. Furthermore, the results emphasize the relevance of incorporating circadian factors, including chronotype, into translational psychiatric research and interventions.

Empathic accuracy in individuals with schizotypal personality traits.

Empirical research using the Empathic Accuracy Task (EAT) has suggested that schizophrenia patients and people with schizotypal personality disorder exhibit lower empathic accuracy than healthy people. However, empathic accuracy in a subclinical sample with high levels of schizotypy has seldom been studied. Our study aimed to investigate empathy in a subclinical sample using the Chinese version of the EAT and a self-report empathy measure. Forty participants with high levels of schizotypy (HS participants) and 40 with low levels of schizotypy (LS participants), as measured by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), were recruited. All participants completed the Chinese version of the EAT and the self-report Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy. Empathic accuracy (EA) scores and the intra-individual variability of EA scores were calculated. Independent samples t tests and Pearson correlation analyses were performed to examine group differences in empathy and the relationship between empathy and schizotypy respectively. HS participants exhibited reduced EA for both positive and negative videos, and larger intra-individual variability of EA for negative videos than LS participants. However, HS and LS participants did not differ in self-report cognitive empathy. Moreover, the interpersonal dimension of the SPQ was negatively correlated with EAT performance and self-report cognitive empathy in LS participants. Individuals with HS show poorer performance-based EA but relatively intact self-report cognitive empathy. This study provides empirical evidence for the ontogeny of empathy deficits in subclinical populations at risk of developing schizophrenia, supporting early interventions for social cognitive deficits.

Targeting negative flashforward imagery in speech anxiety with a visuospatial dual-task: Do attenuated flashforwards lead to less anxiety and avoidance?

Background and objectivesIt has been proposed that negative mental imagery plays an important role in the persistence of social fears. Experiencing vivid and distressing ‘flashforward’ images of a potential social catastrophe appears to be of relevance in speech anxiety. To clarify the role of these images, the current experimental study tested if reducing the vividness and distressing properties of recurring negative flashforward images subsequently reduces anxiety and avoidance tendencies regarding a speech. Methods: Participants were female undergraduates high in speech anxiety (N = 134) who joined our study online. In the experimental condition, we used a visuospatial dual-task to reduce the vividness and distress of flashforward imagery. Primary outcomes were participants' self-reported anxiety and avoidance ratings in anticipation of and during an actual speech. As a secondary outcome, we used observer ratings of participants' anxiety during the speech. Results: Participants reported moderate to high frequency and interference of their vivid and distressing flashforward images in daily life. The dual-task resulted in reductions in image vividness and distress. However, we found no differences between conditions in anxiety and avoidance ratings before and during the speech. Limitations: The imagery manipulation effect was moderate to small. Moreover, we included a subclinical sample. Conclusions: Reducing negative flashforward imagery vividness and distress with a visuospatial dual-task did not directly lead to less anxiety and avoidance tendencies related to a later speech. Thus, findings provided no support for the hypothesis that experiencing highly vivid and distressing flashforward images causally contributes to social fears.

Coding Interactive Behaviour Instrument: Mother-Infant Interaction Quality, Construct Validity, Measurement Invariance, and Postnatal Depression and Anxiety

The quality of parent-child interaction has consistently been associated with child psychosocial outcomes. Postnatal depression (PND) and anxiety (PNA) can have an adverse effect on the parent-child interaction. The Coding Interactive Behaviour (CIB) measure has frequently been used to assess parent-infant interaction quality; however, few have investigated the construct validity. The purpose of this study is to: (1) compare two theoretical models and one data-driven model for best fit and to test the best fitting one for measurement invariance among mothers with and without PND, and (2) compare effects of PND and PNA on the mother-infant interactions. The sample consisted of mothers with PND (n = 236) and a subclinical sample of mothers with elevated symptoms of PND but did not meet criteria for a diagnosis (n = 183) and their infants (aged ≤ 6 months). PND was assessed with a diagnostic interview and PNA using a self-report measure. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the data-driven model, consisting of the composites ‘Maternal Sensitivity’, ‘Child Engagement’, ‘Maternal Social Withdrawal’, and ‘Maternal Controlling Behaviour’, reached the best fit and showed measurement invariance with regard to PND. Factorial ANOVAs showed no effects of PND and PNA on the composites. The study is the first to investigate and find measurement invariance in the CIB, providing evidence of construct validity. The importance of investigating the factor structure of an instrument liable to change due to contextual factors is discussed.

Psychometric properties of the Greek translation of the Greek Short Dark Triad questionnaire (GSD3Q) in a subclinical sample

Introduction‘Dark Triad’ is a constellation of three conceptually distinct but empirically overlapping personality variables. The three members- Machiavellianism, narcissism and subclinical psychopathy – often show differential correlates but share a common core of callous-manipulation.ObjectivesTo validate an easy to use and valid measurement for subclinical populations examining the 3 factors of the dark triad of personality.MethodsA pool of items designed to circumscribe the classic conceptions of the Dark Triad constructs used for the Short Dark Triad were translated using the multiple forward and backward translation protocol. Participants consisted of 391 adults recruited from social media. Participants were then asked to rate their agreement with each of the 44 items generated for the GSD3Q).Results391 adults participated, 51 (13%) male, 340 (87%) female mean age 41.4(SD=10.8). Corrected Item-Total Correlation was used for the first reduction of items and then PCA with eigenvalues >1.5 was used for the reduction of the items loading lower than 0. 400 for each factor independently. Finally, Principal Axis Factoring with Varimax rotation led to 9 items for Machiavellianism (alpha coefficient=0.659), 8 items for Narcissism (alpha coefficient=0.659) and 10 items for Psychopathy (alpha coefficient=0.742). Strong correlations were found as expected between the 3 factors with lower between Machiavellianism and Narcissism r=.487 p=0.001 and higher between Psychopath and Narcissism r=.617 p=0.001.ConclusionsThe results of the current validation led to a 27 item, with 3 factors questionnaire with similar psychometric properties for non-clinical populations. Further validation is needed for clinical samples.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

‘Struggling to appear normal’: a moderated mediational analysis of empathy and camouflaging in the association between autistic traits and depressive symptoms

Background Camouflaging or camouflaging autistic traits—strategies that hide social impairments to match societal norms—has been linked to empathy and depressive symptoms in autism research. Much epidemiological evidence has further revealed that characteristics of autism and autistic traits are distributed continuously throughout the general population. Nonetheless, the relationship between these variables in the Chinese general population is unclear. Method The present study aimed to elucidate the relationships between autistic traits, empathy, camouflaging, and depressive symptoms in a subclinical sample of 1215 Chinese university students of ages 18–27, using self-report assessments. Results Correlational analysis revealed that autistic traits, camouflaging, and depressive symptoms were significantly intercorrelated. Empathy was significantly correlated with autistic traits and camouflaging. Mediation analysis revealed that camouflaging mediated the positive link between autistic traits and depressive symptoms. Moderated mediation analysis further indicated that the first stage mediated path (autistic traits → camouflaging) was weaker for students with lower levels of empathy. Conclusions The results suggest that camouflaging is a key contributor in the positive association between autistic traits and depressive symptoms, and that empathy help stimulate the development and maintenance of camouflaging.

Disordered eating is related to deficits in emotional processing: A correlational study with a subclinical sample

BackgroundBoth clinical and non-clinical levels of disordered eating behaviours have been associated with deficits in emotional processing. MethodsThrough a correlational design, the present study examined the relationship between different types of disordered eating behaviours and various forms of emotional processing. N = 209 female undergraduate participants completed self-report measures of disordered eating behaviours, perceived emotion intensity, emotion regulation skills, and self-compassion. Four groups of participants were identified based on self-reported disordered eating behaviours: a healthy control group (n = 90), dieting group (n = 22), binging group (n = 59), and binging/purging group (n = 38). ResultsGreater severity of disordered eating was associated with greater emotional processing deficits including greater perceived emotion intensity, greater emotion regulation difficulties, and diminished self-compassion. Emotion regulation skills mediated the relationship between emotion intensity and disordered eating behaviours. A continuum of emotional processing deficits was observed wherein the healthy control group exhibited the fewest emotional processing deficits, and these deficits became increasingly severe among the dieting group, binging group, and binging/purging group, respectively. Each disordered eating type was associated with a specific profile of emotional processing difficulties. LimitationsThis study examined a subclinical sample of only female participants. ConclusionsFindings bear clinical importance for the prevention, treatment, and understanding of disordered eating behaviours.

The benefits of physical exercise on state anxiety: Exploring possible mechanisms

Although several studies have shown that one acute bout of physical exercise can reduce state anxiety in healthy samples, studies that examine this effect in subclinical and clinical samples are still rare and have found mixed results. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a single session of acute exercise on state anxiety in a subclinical sample with moderate to high anxiety sensitivity. Potential mediators, including self-efficacy, self-esteem, mindfulness, subjective vitality, rumination and emotional competencies were explored. Participants (N = 88) with moderate to high anxiety sensitivity were assigned randomly to either an active group (n = 44) or a control group (n = 44). State anxiety and the mediator variables were assessed before and after the intervention. State anxiety was reduced from baseline to post-intervention, but no difference was found between groups. Exploratory analyses suggested that in the active intervention condition, a reduction in state anxiety was partly mediated by an increase in positive affect and mediated by an increase in subjective vitality. One acute bout of exercise might not be enough to decrease state anxiety in subclinical individuals with moderate to high anxiety sensitivity. However, the results of this study suggest that positive affect and subjective vitality could be two mechanisms that might explain the beneficial effect of exercise on anxiety. This should be further investigated in future studies.

Development and Evaluation of a Prospective Group Coaching Program: Increasing Well-Being and Openness to the Future in a Subclinical Sample

Prospection is the ability to think about the future in order to guide behavior and gain desirable outcomes. Although theoretical research on the topic exists, there is a lack of practical application. We developed and evaluated a prospective coaching program in a subclinical sample with limited subjective well-being. Twenty-nine participants (Mage = 40.6 years, SD = 13.6; range 19–62 years) participated in three 3-h sessions of a prospective coaching intervention. In a between- and within-subject design, participants completed preintervention, postintervention, and follow-up questionnaires. We compared the effects to those in a waitlist control group with no intervention (n = 37). Linear mixed models revealed improvements in the primary variables subjective well-being and openness to the future. We also found effects in the secondary outcomes hopelessness, subjective stress, depression, positive affect, and optimism in the experimental group, but not in the waiting list control group. This pilot study, to our knowledge, is the first to prove the effectiveness of a prospective group coaching program on relevant outcomes in a subclinical sample. Further studies, for instance, with a larger sample, are needed to gain more insight on the effects of prospection in mental health promotion.

Individual differences in depression are reflected in negative self-evaluations when imagining future events

Emotional disorders, including depression, are associated with deficits in retrieving past and imagining future autobiographical events. Imagining future events requires accessing different types of information, from general conceptual knowledge to specific event details. Here, we tested the hypothesis that depression levels within a community sample are most strongly reflected in how conceptual information about the self (i.e., self-schemas) are accessed. In an online experiment, we collected ratings of depression as well as anxiety, which often presents alongside depression, in a group of participants who then completed a trait judgment task in which they judged whether positive and negative traits reflected the self or another person, followed by an event imagination task in which participants generated specific future events for the self or another person. A second experiment was run on a separate group of participants who performed these same tasks in reversed order. Across experiments, we found that depression but not anxiety levels were associated with greater endorsement of negative traits only for the self, was not related to the ability to imagine specific future events but did alter how these events were evaluated. An exploratory analysis revealed greater endorsement of negative traits for the self when the trait judgement task came before imagining events. These results provide new insights into how depression levels in a subclinical sample are associated with changes in autobiographical knowledge, enhancing negative self-schemas, when imagining future events.

English

In this study, the usability and applicability of a mindfulness based online administered gamified short-term intervention for people suffering from internet gaming disorder is investigated in a subclinical sample (N = 49). Within a four-week intervention program (Room2Respawn) participants were randomly allocated to a gamified condition (experimental) or a neutral condition (control). Participants were provided with three intervention sessions per week consisting of psychoeducation on internet gaming disorder and mindfulness-exercises. Most of the intervention content has been adopted from a group-therapy intervention to an online platform. The 39 participants who participated over the course of the whole intervention rated the usability of the online-intervention overall and across all measures as good or very good. There was no evidence for beneficial effects of gamification on motivation when compared with ratings from a control condition. Areas of improvement and study limitations are discussed. Due to an easy applicability and very good usability, Room2Respawn shows potential to develop into a low-threshold treatment option, which, after rework, needs to be put to test on a sample showing clinical symptoms of pathological internet gaming.   Key words: mindfulness, internet gaming, gamification, internet gaming disorder, usability, applicability.

How expectancy violations facilitate learning to cope with pain – An experimental approach

BackgroundExpectations of painful sensations constitute a core feature of chronic pain. An important clinical question is whether such expectations are revised when disconfirming experiences are made (e.g., less pain than expected). This study examined how people adjust their pain expectations when the experience of decreasing pain is expected vs. unexpected. MethodsIn a novel randomized between-subjects design, a subclinical sample of people who frequently experience pain was provided with painful thermal stimulations. Unbeknownst to participants, the temperature applied was decreased from trial to trial. Based on the experimental instructions provided, this experience of decreasing pain was expected in one condition (expectation-confirmation; n = 34), whereas it was unexpected in another (expectation-disconfirmation; n = 39). ResultsPerceived pain intensity was lower in the expectation-confirmation condition than in the expectation-disconfirmation condition (p = .014, ηp2 = 0.083). The expectation-confirmation condition also showed a greater adjustment of their pain expectations than the expectation-disconfirmation condition (p = .046, ηp2 = 0.047). Across groups, large expectation violations (i.e., less pain than expected) were associated with increases in pain tolerance and the ability to cope with pain at a one-week follow-up. ConclusionsIn terms of assimilation, perceived pain intensity was shaped in the direction of pain expectations. The greater adjustment of expectations in the expectation-confirming condition is consistent with a confirmation bias in pain perception. Though participants who experienced large discrepancies between expected and experienced pain were hesitant to adjust their pain expectations immediately, expectation violations increased their ability to cope with pain one week later, suggesting some beneficial longer-term effects of expectation violations.

Moral Orientation Guilt Scale (MOGS): Development and validation of a novel guilt measurement

Guilt emerges as the emotional result of a conflict between our behavior and internalized morality. Since morality is best conceptualized as a multidimensional construct, guilt results in different phenomena depending on the moral values internalized by the “guilty”. Indeed, mounting evidence supports the distinction between guilt feelings emerging from deontological morality and guilt feelings emerging from altruistic morality. Most measures fail to consider moral orientation when assessing guilt. Our aim was to develop a reliable and valid tool, able to independently measure different types of guilt feelings. We presented the 17-items Moral Orientation Guilt Scale (MOGS) to a large subclinical sample, along with other questionnaires. Analyses included measures of classical test theory and innovative techniques of network analysis. This cross-validation approach pointed at four factors: “Moral Norm Violation”, “Moral Dirtiness”, “Empathy” and “Harm”. Results suggested MOGS good reliability and a strong construct and convergent validity. Importantly, “Moral Norm Violation” and “Moral Dirtiness” scores were positively correlated with disgust sensitivity, supporting the link between disgust and deontological guilt. Differently, “Harm” scores were negatively correlated with disgust sensitivity scores, in line with the notion that altruism and disgust possibly evolved as part of contrasting motivational systems.

Negative belief-updating bias for positive daily life events in individuals with schizophrenia and social anhedonia

ABSTRACT Introduction Low-pleasure beliefs are found in both patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and individuals with high social anhedonia (SocAnh), and are associated with anhedonia. However, little is known about the development and maintenance of these low-pleasure beliefs in the clinical and subclinical populations. We investigated whether patients with SZ and individuals with high SocAnh have deficits in updating their beliefs, which may contribute to the understanding of the formation and maintenance of low-pleasure beliefs. Methods The Modified Belief Updating Task was administered to assess belief-updating patterns in a clinical sample (36 SZ patients and 30 matched controls) and a subclinical sample (27 individuals with high SocAnh and 30 matched controls). Results We found that compared with controls, SZ patients updated their beliefs to a greater extent and more frequently when receiving bad news for positive life events, but not for negative life events. Moreover, individuals with high SocAnh also exhibited similar patterns in updating their beliefs for positive life events after controlling depressive symptoms. Conclusions Our findings suggest that negative belief-updating patterns for positive events may play an important role in the formation and maintenance of low-pleasure beliefs in patients with SZ and individuals with high SocAnh.

Placebo and Non-specific Effects in Reconsolidation-Based Treatment for Arachnophobia.

The idea that maladaptive memories may be rendered susceptible to interference after reactivation raises the possibility of reactivating and neutralizing clinically-relevant emotional memories. In this study, we sought to investigate the feasibility of such a “reconsolidation-based” intervention for arachnophobia, drawing upon previous research that successfully reduced fear of spiders in a subclinical sample. In Experiment 1, we piloted several reactivation procedures for conducting a reconsolidation-based treatment for arachnophobic individuals. All procedures involved some form of brief exposure to a fear-provoking spider, followed by the administration of 40 mg propranolol. In Experiment 2, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled assessment of one procedure tested in Experiment 1. In Experiment 1, we found that most reactivation procedures produced drops in self-reported fear of spiders from pre- to post-treatment, including fear declines that were apparent up to 6- and even 14-months later. However, in Experiment 2, we found no evidence that the participants receiving propranolol were better off than those who received placebo. While our findings are limited by the small sample sizes used, they nevertheless show a different pattern of responses than was observed in a previous reconsolidation-based intervention for subclinical spider fearful participants. Alterations to the protocol made to accommodate the clinical participants may have led to greater opportunities for non-specific effects (e.g., exposure, placebo effects) to drive change in the participants. Our findings highlight both the challenges of translating reconsolidation-based procedures into clinical interventions, as well as the importance of controls for non-specific effects in reconsolidation-based research.

Are Acute Increases and Variability in Emotion Regulation Strategies Related to Negative Affect and Paranoid Thoughts in Daily Life?

BackgroundNegative affect reliably predicts paranoid thoughts. Previous studies point to the importance of emotion regulation for paranoid thoughts but have not yet focused on effects of acute increases and variability in strategy use.MethodsWe conducted an experience-sampling study for one week in a subclinical sample. Acute increases in the intensity of strategy use from one measurement point until the next, between-strategy variability (i.e., standard deviation between all strategies at one measurement point), and within-strategy variability (i.e., standard deviation of each strategy over one day) were analyzed for effects on negative affect and paranoid thoughts.ResultsMulti-level-models indicated that acute increases in acceptance and reappraisal are associated with less negative affect. Acute increases in acceptance, but not in reappraisal, were related to less paranoid thoughts. In contrast, acute increases in rumination and suppression were associated with more negative affect and paranoid thoughts. Between- and within-strategy variability were no significant predictors.ConclusionsAcute increases in the intensity of but not variability in emotion regulation strategies are related to negative affect and paranoid thoughts in daily life. Future studies are needed to examine whether improving emotion regulation leads to sustainable reductions in symptoms.

How negative mood hinders belief updating in depression: results from two experimental studies.

In two experimental studies, we tested the hypothesis that negative mood would hinder the revision of negative beliefs in response to unexpectedly positive information in depression, whereas positive mood was expected to enhance belief updating. In study 1 (N = 101), we used a subclinical sample to compare the film-based induction of sad v. happy mood with a distraction control group. Subsequently, participants underwent a well-established paradigm to examine intra-individual changes in performance-related expectations after unexpectedly positive performance feedback. In study 2, we applied the belief-updating task from study 1 to an inpatient sample (N = 81) and induced sad v. happy mood via film-clips v. recall of autobiographic events. The results of study 1 showed no significant group differences in belief updating; the severity of depressive symptoms was a negative predictor of belief revision, though, and there was a non-significant trend suggesting that the presence of sad mood hindered belief updating in the subgroup of participants with a diagnosed depressive episode. Study 2 revealed that participants updated their expectations significantly less in line with positive feedback when they underwent the induction of negative mood prior to feedback, relative to positive mood. By indicating that the presence of negative mood can hinder the revision of negative beliefs in clinically depressed people, our findings suggest that learning from new experiences can be hampered if state negative mood is activated. Thus, interventions relying on learning from novel positive experiences should aim at reducing state negative mood in depression.

Apprehension about the future: Investigating the phenomenological characteristics of episodic future thinking in socially anxious adolescents

Background and objectivesSocial anxiety is a future-oriented mood characterized by apprehension about others’ negative evaluations in anxiety-provoking social situations that may occur in the future. Episodic future thinking (EFT) is a form of future-oriented cognition that allows a pre-experiencing of our personal futures. The literature suggests that anxious individuals show increased negative expectancies about future events. However, few studies have been conducted on EFT in social anxiety. The current study investigated the phenomenological characteristics of EFT in adolescents with high and low social anxiety. MethodsTwenty-two high social anxiety (HSA) and 24 low social anxiety (LSA) adolescents simulated one anxiety-provoking social event and one neutral event. They then rated the phenomenological characteristics of the events. ResultsHSA adolescents imagined anxiety-provoking social events from an observer perspective more than LSA adolescents. HSA adolescents also imagined anxiety-provoking social events as more negative and containing less clear contextual details than LSA adolescents. In contrast, no group differences were found for neutral events. Moreover, participants imagined more self-referential information for anxiety-provoking social events than neutral events. HSA participants imagined less other-referential information than LSA participants, regardless of the event type. LimitationsThis study used a subclinical sample with high and low social anxiety. The sample size was small, and only adolescents aged 15–17 years were included. It is difficult to generalize the present findings across different anxiety-provoking social events. The specificity of EFT was not evaluated. ConclusionsOur findings highlight the importance of EFT in the psychopathology of adolescent social anxiety.

Personalized lifestyle advice alters affective reactivity to negative events in anhedonic young adults

BackgroundAnhedonia is a common symptom of several disorders, but cost-effective treatments that focus on anhedonia specifically have been lacking. Therefore, personalized lifestyle advice has recently been investigated as a suitable means of enhancing pleasure and positive affect (PA) in young adults with anhedonia. This intervention provided individuals with a personalized lifestyle advice which was based on observed individual patterns of lifestyle behaviors and experienced pleasure in daily life. The present study extends this previous work by examining a potential mechanism of treatment success, affective reactivity. MethodsWe explored changes in affective reactivity to events in daily life from pre- to post-intervention in a subclinical sample of young adults with anhedonia (N = 69). Using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), participants answered questions on their activities, their pleasure levels, PA and negative affect (NA) before and after the intervention. ResultsMultilevel analysis revealed that participants did not experience an altered affective reactivity to positive events after the intervention. The affective reactivity to negative events depended on the level of improvement in mean-PA after the lifestyle advice intervention. LimitationsThe present study used a subclinical sample with the majority of participants being female which limited the generalizability of the findings. ConclusionThis study suggests that an altered affective reactivity to negative events is an underlying mechanism of the effectiveness of a personalized lifestyle advice.

Pathway Linking Different Types of Childhood Trauma to Somatic Symptoms in a Subclinical Sample of Female College Students: The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance.

Research has shown that women are more prone to childhood trauma and this state is associated with somatic symptoms. Also, people who have been exposed to traumatic experiences use experiential avoidance to reduce negative emotions. However, the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between childhood trauma and somatic symptoms is not clear, so, the present study investigated whether the relationships among different types of childhood trauma and somatic symptoms could be explained by experiential avoidance in female college students. In a cross-sectional study, 251 Iranian female college students with somatic symptoms were recruited from the University of Tabriz. Participants completed self-report scales, including the Persian version of Child Abuse Self-Reported Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), and the Patient-health questionnaire (PHQ-15). A path analysis was used to empirically explore the relationships. Structural equation modeling analyses confirmed a partial mediation model. Study participants who had a higher level of emotional trauma reported higher levels of somatic symptoms. Emotional and neglect trauma showed significant positive relations with experiential avoidance. Bootstrapping results showed that experiential avoidance partially mediated the relationship between emotional trauma and somatic symptoms. Moreover, the association between neglect and somatic symptoms was fully mediated by experiential avoidance. These findings suggest that experiential avoidance might be one mechanism explaining how adverse emotional and neglect experiences influence somatic symptoms. Interventions addressing experiential avoidance through methods such as emotion-focused therapy and mindfulness are discussed as potential future directions for treating somatic symptoms in females who experienced emotional and neglect trauma.