Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Moderate the Effects of Mindfulness and Cognitive Restructuring in Reducing Aggression and Drinking Intentions Among Young Adult Men

Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are linked to maladaptive coping behaviors such as aggression and alcohol use, often due to impaired emotion regulation. Mindfulness and cognitive restructuring (CR) show promise in improving emotion regulation and reducing aggression and alcohol use. However, it remains unclear whether PTSS severity moderates the effectiveness of mindfulness and CR on these outcomes. Secondary data analyses of a randomized experiment among 207 community-dwelling men between 21–30 years old tested whether PTSS severity interacts with mindfulness and CR to reduce aggression and drinking intentions in a hypothetical scenario via emotional acceptance and modulation. Results indicate that both mindfulness and CR were more effective than control in enhancing emotion regulation among individuals who experience more PTSS. Among those who experience more PTSS, CR reduced aggression intentions through improved emotion modulation. Findings suggest that mindfulness and CR are particularly beneficial for individuals who experience more PTSS and emphasize emotion modulation as a critical pathway for reducing aggression in this population.