Exploring the co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and dysregulated positive emotion processes: A network analysis

Emerging research indicates an important role of positive emotion processes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. To extend this research, we utilized a network approach to examine associations between PTSD symptom clusters (intrusions, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood [NACM], alterations in arousal and reactivity [AAR]) and dysregulated positive emotion processes (levels of positive affect, self-focused positive rumination, emotion-focused positive rumination, dampening, impulse control difficulties, difficulties engaging in goal-directed behaviors, nonacceptance of positive emotions). Specifically, we examined differential relations between PTSD symptom clusters and positive emotion processes, and symptoms that most strongly connected these constructs (i.e., communities). The sample included 191 trauma-exposed adults recruited from Amazon’s MTurk ( M_age = 38.54 ± 10.99 years, 53.4 % women, 63.4 % with probable PTSD). A regularized Guassian Graphic Model consisting of four nodes representing the PTSD symptom clusters’ community and seven nodes representing the positive emotion processes' community was generated. The strongest positive associations across communities were the NACM-dampening and the AAR-dampening edges. Bridge symptoms with the highest inter-community connectivity were dampening, AAR, intrusions, NACM, and impulse control difficulties. Overall, this study indicates the importance of incorporating positive emotion processes in the conceptualization of PTSD. Our results also highlight that dampening of positive emotions and difficulties with impulse control while experiencing positive emotions may be meaningful targets in PTSD treatment.