Fundamentals of Mental Health

Fundamentals of Mental Health

Predicting experiential avoidance based on interoceptive awareness: The mediating role of neuroticism and difficulties in emotion regulation

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Sanam Bahmanyar
Niloofar Mikaeili
Akbar Atadokht
Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
10.22038/JFMH.2025.86701.3228
Abstract
Introduction: Experiential avoidance increases the risk of mental health problems in both clinical and non-clinical populations. It is important to identify which psychological variables can influence this concept. The present study aimed to predict experiential avoidance from interoceptive awareness through the mediating roles of neuroticism and difficulties in emotion regulation.
 
Materials and Methods: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design and used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Participants consisted of 265 students from the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Iran, during the 2023-2024 academic year, selected via cluster sampling. Participants completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), neuroticism subscale of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Data were analyzed using SPSS-26 and AMOS-24.
 
Results: Results indicated that the proposed model exhibited a good fit (GFI= 0.950, CFI= 0.976, CMIN/df= 1.94, RMSEA= 0.060), explaining 47% of the variance in experiential avoidance through direct and indirect pathways. Findings revealed that interoceptive awareness directly predicted experiential avoidance (β= 0.127, P< 0.05) and indirectly predicted it through the sequential mediation of neuroticism and difficulties in emotion regulation (β= -0.319, P< 0.05). Neuroticism alone significantly mediated the relationship, whereas difficulties in emotion regulation only contributed to mediation when combined sequentially with neuroticism.
 
Conclusion: These findings underscore the potential for mental health practitioners to design interventions targeting experiential avoidance by enhancing interoceptive awareness, improving emotion regulation strategies, and mitigating vulnerabilities associated with neuroticism.
Keywords
Avoidance behavior
Emotion regulation
Interoception
Neuroticism
Psychological stress
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Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 27, Issue 5
September and October 2025
Pages 349-359