The influence of mindfulness, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, and posttraumatic stress disorder on disability and quality of life over time in war veterans.

OBJECTIVES

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) strongly predicts greater disability and lower quality of life (QOL). Mindfulness-based and other third-wave behavior therapy interventions improve well-being by enhancing mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological flexibility. We hypothesized that these mechanisms of therapeutic change would comprise a single latent factor that would predict disability and QOL after accounting for PTSD symptom severity.

METHOD: Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (N = 117) completed a study of predictors of successful reintegration. Principal axis factor analysis tested whether mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological flexibility comprised a single latent factor. Hierarchical regression tested whether this factor predicted disability and QOL 1 year later.

RESULTS

Mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological flexibility comprised a single factor that predicted disability and QOL after accounting for PTSD symptom severity. PTSD symptoms remained a significant predictor of disability but not QOL.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeting these mechanisms may help veterans achieve functional recovery, even in the presence of PTSD symptoms.