Experiential Avoidance and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies as the Mediators in the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Objective: The current study seeks to investigate the mechanisms through which mindfulness is related to social anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample of adults by examining whether experiential avoidance and specific cognitive emotion regulation strategies (rumination, catastrophizing, and reappraisal) mediate associations between mindfulness and social anxiety symptoms. Methods: Statistical population of this study contained all the students with social anxiety disorder in Lorestan University in the academic year 2016-2017. With purposive sampling method, 104 students with social anxiety disorder were selected. Subjects were assessed by Social Phobia Inventory, Beck depression inventory II, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Social Anxiety Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS and AMOS 22 software using structural equation modeling, and the model fits the clinical sample well. Results: In the model, the index demonstrated good fit (X2 24=36.13, P=0.053, GFI=0.92, AGFI=0.86, CFI=0.97, NFI=0.92, TLI=0.96, RMSEA=0.07, CMIN/df=1.50), so that mindfulness facets were directly associated with Sognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies (SERD) and experiential avoidance. It was also found that cognitive emotion regulation strategies and experiential avoidance were associated with social anxiety symptoms. Finally, the results indicated that mindfulness had indirect effects on the social anxiety symptoms that were mediated by cognitive emotion regulation strategies and experiential avoidance.  Conclusion: Our findings raise important implications for clinical health psychologists when tailoring mindfulness-based treatments for SAD patients.