Improvement in mindful awareness during prolonged exposure treatment leads to reduction in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and anger expression.

OBJECTIVE: Anger is a problematic symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that causes significant distress, and it is often reported as a residual symptom following PTSD treatment. Although gold-standard treatments for PTSD can reduce anger, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unknown. This study examines whether a gold-standard PTSD treatment, Prolonged Exposure, improves veterans' mindful awareness and if that change leads to a reduction in PTSD symptoms and anger expression. METHOD: as well as pre- and post-assessments of mindful awareness, as measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. CONCLUSIONS: Specific components of prolonged exposure (e.g., in vivo and imaginal exposures) may improve mindful awareness, and findings suggest that improvement in mindful awareness reduces PTSD symptoms and anger expression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).