Safety behaviors, experiential avoidance, and anxiety: A path analysis approach.

•Trait and contextual avoidance in anxiety was explored via path analysis.•Safety behaviors account for the relationship between symptoms and quality of life.•Preventive, rather than restorative, safety behaviors predict lower quality of life.•Experiential avoidance in the context of panic predicts lower quality of life.•Experiential avoidance does not predict time spent on safety behaviors.