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ViewAttendees 7

Symposia

Adult - Anxiety

Understanding and Treating Anxiety in Real-World Contexts

1 - (SYM 40) Dynamics of State Self-compassion, State Anxiety, and Behavioral Avoidance

Saturday, November 22, 2025
3:35 PM - 3:52 PM CST
Location: Celestin D&E, Level 3
Keywords: Anxiety, Community-Based, Translational Research
Recommended Readings: Luoma, J.B., Chwyl, C. Interpersonal mechanisms for the maintenance of self-criticism: Expressive suppression, emotion expression, and self-concealment. Curr Psychol 41, 4027–4040 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00920-z,   Elizabeth T. Slivjak, Eric J. Pedersen, Joanna J. Arch,
Evaluating the efficacy of common humanity-enhanced exposure for socially anxious young adults,
Journal of Anxiety Disorders,
Volume 87, 2022, 102542,
ISSN 0887-6185, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2022.102542.,   Cohen ZD, Schueller SM. Expanding, improving, and understanding behaviour research and therapy through digital mental health. Behav Res Ther. 2023 Aug;167:104358. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104358. Epub 2023 Jun 19. PMID: 37418857.,   ,  
Abstract Body
Aligning with the conference theme of “bridging the divide,” this study evaluates in daily, real-world contexts the buffering effects of self-compassion on anxiety and behavioral avoidance. Self-compassionate states are associated with decreased stress reactivity, however, it is unknown whether this protective effect is associated with decreased anxiety symptoms and behavioral avoidance in daily life. We conducted a preregistered secondary  analysis in a sample of 144 diverse stressed adults ages 18-45 who recently completed a longitudinal ecological momentary assessment (EMA) within a broader parent study.  Participants were prompted to complete state measures 8 times per day for 5 days. Using dynamic structural equation modeling, we investigated whether state self-compassion was associated with lower levels of state anxiety, state depressive symptoms,  and anxiety-related behavioral avoidance. Higher state self-compassion at the previous measurement occasion (t-1) was significantly associated with decreased state anxiety scores at the subsequent measurement occasion (t) (β = -2.953, CI: -4.103, -1.779). This relationship held even when the models included previous state anxiety, suggesting that self-compassion may affect subsequent anxiety, rather than vice-versa. We will also assess whether state self-compassion moderates the effect of state perceived stress on subsequent state anxiety, state depression,  and behavioral avoidance. Increased knowledge of the momentary dynamics of self-compassion, anxiety, and avoidance can inform targeted interventions that address the ecological, real-world contexts in which individuals manage stress.