Police officers experience a high number of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) often associated with elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). In addition, PTSS are related to co-occurring psychiatric symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression), alcohol misuse, and low perceived well-being. Yet, behavioral processes that may account for the associations between PTSS and unfavorable outcomes remain unspecified. Psychological flexibility, or one's response to private experiences (e.g., PTE-related memories) with an open, aware, and active approach, may be one such process. The present study aimed to evaluate psychological flexibility as both a mediator and moderator of PTSS and commonly co-occurring psychiatric symptoms, alcohol use, and general well-being, using cross-sectional data provided by a sample of police officers (N = 459) recruited from three regionally distributed U.S. police agencies. Structural equation modeling indicated a well-fitting model wherein psychological flexibility indirectly accounted for associations among PTSS and endogenous outcomes, χ²(107, N = 457) = 225.33, p < .001, CFI = .99, TLI = .98, RMSEA = .05, 90% CI [.04, .06], SRMR = .03. Psychological flexibility also moderated associations between PTSS and psychiatric symptoms, B = 1.58 (SE = 0.22), p < .001; and well-being, B = −3.84 (SE = 0.46), p < .001. Although additional research is needed, these preliminary results suggest psychological flexibility may be a behavioral process that accounts for negative outcomes associated with PTSS and a productive intervention target in the context of PTSS and generalized distress. Further research regarding the role of psychological flexibility in PTSS-related outcomes for police officers appears warranted.

中文翻译：

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通过警官的心理灵活性，创伤后应激症状与其他精神症状、酒精使用和幸福感之间的间接关联

警察经历了大量的潜在创伤事件 (PTE)，这些事件通常与创伤后应激症状 (PTSS) 升高有关。此外，PTSS 与同时发生的精神症状（如焦虑、抑郁）、酗酒和低幸福感有关。然而，可能解释 PTSS 与不利结果之间关联的行为过程仍未明确。心理灵活性，或一个人对私人经历（例如，与 PTE 相关的记忆）以开放、有意识和积极的方式作出的反应，可能是这样的过程之一。本研究旨在使用警察样本提供的横断面数据评估心理灵活性作为 PTSS 的中介和调节者，以及常见的同时出现的精神症状、酒精使用和总体幸福感（N= 459）从三个地区分布的美国警察机构招募。结构方程模型表明了一个拟合良好的模型，其中心理灵活性间接解释了 PTSS 和内源性结果之间的关联，χ ² (107, N = 457) = 225.33, p < .001, CFI = .99, TLI = .98, RMSEA = .05, 90% CI [.04, .06], SRMR = .03。心理灵活性也调节了 PTSS 和精神症状之间的关联，B = 1.58 ( SE = 0.22)，p < .001；和幸福感，B = -3.84 ( SE = 0.46), p< .001。尽管需要进一步的研究，但这些初步结果表明，心理灵活性可能是一种行为过程，它解释了与 PTSS 相关的负面结果，并且是 PTSS 和普遍性痛苦背景下的有效干预目标。关于心理灵活性在警察 PTSS 相关结果中的作用的进一步研究似乎是有必要的。