(PS11-B30) Buffering Effects of Daily Uplifts on the Impact of Cumulative Stressors in Individuals with and Without Histories of Prior Trauma

Research suggests that exposure to routine, daily stressors is associated with reductions in global wellbeing (DeLongis et al., 1982; Larsson et al., 2016). Uplifts, by contrast, are conceptualized as common - but critical - positive experiences believed to influence mental health outcomes directly and/or by mitigating the cumulative effect of daily stressors, consistent with principles of interventions such as behavioral activation. What is unclear is the extent to which exposure to stressors, including potential trauma, may influence this dynamic. The aim of this study was to examine the unique and interactive effects of routine stressors, daily uplifts, and prior trauma exposure on life satisfaction and reports of global functioning.

Participants included 349 individuals (39.5% female; 76.8% White/European American) recruited via Prolific, an online marketplace. Exposure to potential trauma (0 = No, 1 = Yes) was assessed using a standardized, self-report checklist. Respondents also completed measures quantifying daily stressors and uplifts (Hassles and Uplifts Scale-Revised), state-level affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale), global functioning (Barkley Functional Impairment Scale) and subjective life satisfaction (Quality of Life Inventory). Regression models were used to evaluate the unique and interactive effects of stressors, uplifts, and lifetime trauma on measures of subjective life satisfaction and global functioning, controlling for state-level mood.

Consistent with expectations, analyses indicated unique effects of negative affect (β = .174, p < .001, f² = .031) and routine stressors (β = .440, p < .001, f² = .147) on elevations in functional impairment. Uplifts also evidenced a possible relation with increased impairment controlling for other variables in the model (β = .132, p = .045, f² = .013), potentially due to resulting restrictions on time and resources. Data failed to provide evidence for direct or interactive effects of trauma exposure when controlling for other variables.

For life satisfaction, analyses indicated unique effects of positive affect (β = .386, p < .001, f² = .190) and negative affect (β = -.011, p = .016, f² = .018) on increases and decreases on subjective quality of life, respectively. As hypothesized, results provided support for a moderating effect of uplifts on the relation of daily stressors and overall life satisfaction (β = .194, p < .001, f² = .074). Simple slopes analysis identified a weaker association of routine stressors and reduced life satisfaction at high (β = -.061, p < .001, f² = .036) as compared to low levels of uplifts (β = -.192, p < .001, f² = .160), consistent with the expected ameliorating influence on the effect of cumulative life stressors. As with functioning, no evidence was found for direct or interactive effects of trauma exposure.

Results support previous research identifying uplifts as a buffer on the effects of daily life stressors. The failure to identify moderating effects of potential trauma suggest that hypervigilance and shifts in worldview following exposure to traumatic events may not impact these processes, providing support for the generalizability of behavioral interventions that highlight positive activities and pleasurable experiences.