The relationship between trait mindfulness and affective symptoms: A meta-analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)

Within-person changes in aversive reactivity predict session-to-session reductions in anxiety and depression in the unified protocol

ABSTRACTThe Unified Protocol (UP) theoretically leads to reductions in emotional disorder symptoms by reducing aversive reactions to emotions. However, aversive reactions can take many forms (e.g., non-acceptance, behavioral avoidance). We examined if (1) multiple aspects of aversive reactivity predicted session-to-session changes in anxiety and depression in the UP, (2) these aspects reflected a single latent construct, and (3) changes in this latent construct predicted changes in anxiety and depression. Participants (N = 70, Mage = 33.74, 67.1% female, 74.3% white) completed six sessions of UP modules and measures of aversive reactivity, anxiety, and depression before each session. We used hierarchical linear modeling and random-intercept cross-lagged panel models to test aspects of aversive reactivity and a latent factor of aversive reactivity, respectively, as predictors of session-to-session changes in anxiety and depression. Within-person improvements in four of five aspects of aversive reactivity predicted decreases in anxiety, and improvements in two aspects predicted decreases in depression. However, within-person improvements in latent aversive reactivity predicted decreases in anxiety at five sessions and in depression across all sessions. These results add to the growing literature highlighting the role of aversive reactivity as a potential transdiagnostic process involved in improvements in emotional disorder symptoms during treatment.

Mindfulness enhances cognitive functioning: a meta-analysis of 111 randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Currently no comprehensive meta-analysis of MBI efficacy on global and unique cognitive subdomains exist.

METHOD

Examined the effects of MBIs on global cognition and 15 cognitive subdomains. Inclusion criteria: meditation naïve participants; randomized controlled trial; outcome included one objective or subjective cognitive functioning measure; primary focus was teaching mindfulness skills. Exclusion criteria: inadequate data; one-session ; control condition contained any MBI component. Robust variance estimation and moderator analyses controlling for presence of treatment fidelity were conducted.

RESULTS

One-hundred-and-eleven RCTs (n = 9,538) met eligibility criteria. MBIs had small-to-moderate significant effects on global cognition, executive attention, working memory accuracy, inhibition accuracy, shifting accuracy, sustained attention, and subjective cognitive functioning (vs. waitlist/no-treatment, g = 0.257-0.643; vs. active controls, g = 0.192-0.394). MBIs did not impact executive functioning (EF) latency indices, verbal fluency, processing speed, episodic memory, and cognitive error. Treatment effects were stronger for those with elevated psychiatric symptoms vs. healthy controls, and medical samples, studies with complete-case (vs. intention-to-treat) analysis, face-to-face (vs. self-guided) delivery, and non-standard (vs. standard MBI).

CONCLUSION

MBIs consistently yielded small-to-moderate yet practically meaningful effect sizes on global cognition and six cognitive subdomains that captured accuracy vs. latency-based indices of EF and sustained accuracy.

The role of mindfulness and resilience in Navy SEAL training

Mindfulness and resilience are thought to be essential qualities of the military's special operations community. Both are tested daily in Special Operations Forces (SOF) assessment and selection efforts to prepare candidates to persist through grueling training and complex combat situations; but these qualities are rarely measured. While military leadership places value on the concepts of mindfulness and resilience, there is minimal empirical research examining the role that they play in the completion of training. This longitudinal study followed three classes of SEAL candidates at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training over their six-month selection program. We estimated logit models predicting successful completion of BUD/S and specific types of failure in that training environment with indexes of mindfulness and resilience at the start of the program as predictors of completion. The results indicate that (1) mindfulness is unrelated to completion, while (2) resilience is positively related to completion, and (3) The results indicate that mindfulness is generally unrelated to completion, while resilience generally predicts completion.

The Perceived Functions and Phenomenological Characteristics of Future Thinking and Clinically Significant Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Current research indicates that anxiety disorders and elevated levels of trait anxiety are associated with biases and impairments when thinking of personally relevant future events, that is, future thinking. However, to date, little research has been conducted into how people with symptoms of clinical anxiety perceive the functions of future thinking. The current study presents a cross-sectional survey comparing individuals with elevated symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and related functional impact (N = 51, 43.1% female, Mage = 33.1, SD = 10.2) matched on age and gender with individuals with no clinically significant symptoms of GAD (N = 51, 43.1% female, Mage = 33.3, SD = 10.1) on self-reported functions of future thinking and a battery of items assessing the phenomenological characteristics. The results indicated various significant differences in the perceived functions of future thinking and its phenomenological characteristics in those with elevated GAD symptoms. Broadly, they indicate more frequent future thinking and more commonly for self-distraction or processing negatively valenced future events, and generally less adaptive mental representations that support current thinking on the psychopathological process of increased worry, anxious arousal and maladaptive cognition in clinical anxiety symptoms.

Associations between mindfulness and mental health after collective trauma: results from a longitudinal, representative, probability-based survey

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Trait mindfulness (TM) may protect against post-trauma mental health ailments and related impairment. Few studies have evaluated this association in the context of collective traumas using representative samples or longitudinal designs.

DESIGN/METHOD

We explored relationships between TM and collective trauma-related outcomes in a prospective, representative, probability-based sample of 1846 U.S. Gulf Coast residents repeatedly exposed to catastrophic hurricanes, assessed twice during the COVID-19 outbreak (Wave 1: 5/14/20-5/27/20; Wave 2: 12/21/21-1/11/22). Generalized estimating equations examined longitudinal relationships between TM, COVID-19-related fear/worry, hurricane-related fear/worry, global distress, and functional impairment; ordinary least squares regression analyses examined the cross-sectional association between TM and COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) at Wave 1. Event-related stressor exposure was explored as a moderator.

RESULTS

In covariate-adjusted models including pre-event mental health ailments and demographics, TM was negatively associated with COVID-19-related fear/worry, hurricane-related fear/worry, global distress, and functional impairment over time; in cross-sectional analyses, TM was negatively associated with COVID-19-related PTSS. TM moderated the relationship between COVID-19 secondary stressor exposure (e.g., lost job/wages) and both global distress and functional impairment over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest TM may buffer adverse psychosocial outcomes following collective trauma, with some evidence TM may protect against negative effects of secondary stressor exposure.

The effect of Ashtanga-Vinyasa Yoga method on air force pilots' operational performance

Introduction

In today's military landscape, optimizing performance and bolstering physical health and mental resilience are critical objectives. Introducing a 12-week Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Supta Method (AVYSM) to the training protocol of military trained Airforce pilots, we aim to assesses the feasibility and impact of the method.

Materials and equipment

Borg Scale assesses the intensity level of physical activity during the intervention. Flight simulator data gauges operational performance responses. Postural control responses are measured using a force platform, stress responses are monitored via heart monitor, and handgrip dynamometry will measure strength. Respiratory capacity is assessed using a spirometer, body composition is evaluated using impedance balance, and aviation-related questionnaires are administered before and after the intervention period.

Methods

In a randomized controlled trial, the totality of pilots from the "Masters in Military Aeronautics: aviator pilot specialist" course at the Portuguese Air Force Academy (PAA) were randomly assigned to the yoga intervention or the waiting list control groups, with participants providing written informed consent. The control group followed protocolized course classes for 12 weeks, while the intervention group integrated two weekly one-hour yoga sessions into their course.

Results

The PAA has approved the implementation of this intervention protocol at Airbase 11 in Beja, highlighting its significance for the organization's policy makers. We hypothesize that this method will enhance operational performance and, subsequently, elevate flight safety.

Discussion

This research's potential extends beyond the PAA, as it can be adapted for use in Airforce departments of other nations and various military contexts.

Clinical trial registration

Évora University research ethics committee-approval number 21050. Study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT05821270, registered on April 19, 2023.

Investigating trait mindfulness in women with a history of unwanted sexual contact

Unwanted sexual contact (USC) is common in women, and may contribute to sexual dysfunction via avoidance coping techniques. Mindfulness-based treatments, which directly challenge avoidance, have been shown to be effective in treating sexual dysfunction, however, it is not yet clear whether there are differences in trait mindfulness between women with and without a history of USC. We used data from four previous studies and compared trait mindfulness on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) in women with and without a history of USC. There were no significant differences between the USC and no-USC groups on total FFMQ score, nor on most individual domain scores; however, significant group differences were found on observe and acting with awareness subscales. We speculate on the possible meaning of the USC group having higher observe scores and lower acting with awareness scores compared to the no-USC group.

Self-compassion and grit mediated the relation between mindfulness and mind wandering based on cross-sectional survey data

Previous research suggests that mindfulness and mind wandering are opposing constructs. However, little is known about why and how they are negatively related. Through a process-oriented approach, this cross-sectional study tested self-compassion and grit as mediators for the relation between mindfulness and mind wandering. A total of 487 self-identified meditators were recruited from the UK (241 female, 49.49%). Participants reported a mean age of 38.98 years (SD = 10.03), with an average of 2.26 h of meditation practice per week (SD = 4.47). Upon informed consent, the participants completed a self-report questionnaire that assessed the core variables under study. Path analysis indicated that mindfulness was related to self-compassion. Greater self-compassion was, in turn, related to greater grit, which was then related to lower mind wandering. Bootstrapping analysis further indicated that self-compassion and grit as mediators between mindfulness and mind wandering, above and beyond age, gender, hours of meditation, income, and education as covariates. The cross-sectional findings provided initial evidence of mediation by showing that mindfulness and mind wandering were related through self-compassion and grit.

Not all mindfulness is equal: certain facets of mindfulness have important implications for well-being and mental health across the lifespan

The connections between the five facets of mindfulness, well-being, and mental health across the lifespan have traditionally been investigated using variable-centered approaches. Less research has investigated these relationships from a person-centered, profile-based approach. In this work, we aimed to identify the profiles of mindfulness in a Canadian lifespan sample (14 to 90 years of age) and investigate how these profiles compared on age, well-being, and mental health. An age- and gender-balanced sample of 1,600 participants completed a questionnaire that measured the five facets of mindfulness; life satisfaction; existential well-being; and anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms. A latent profile analysis was conducted. Five profiles based on the five-facet model of mindfulness were identified: high mindfulness, moderate mindfulness, low mindfulness, nonjudgmentally aware, and judgmentally observing. The 3-step approach to profile comparisons was used to assess age, mental health, and well-being differences across the profiles. Those in the high mindfulness and nonjudgmentally aware profiles were generally older, while the judgmentally observing profile contained younger individuals. Those in the high mindfulness and nonjudgmentally aware profiles reported the greatest mental health and well-being. Conversely, those in the low mindfulness and judgmentally observing profiles had worse mental health than the other profiles. The moderate mindfulness profile was situated between these profile groups on age, mental health, and well-being outcomes. This pattern of results has implications for mindfulness-based intervention research and practice to better account for heterogeneity in mindfulness and better support well-being across the lifespan.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic versions of the long (27 items) and short (13 items) forms of the interpersonal mindfulness scale (IMS)

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of measures and data on interpersonal mindfulness from non-Western cultures, which can hinder advances in our understanding of the construct, its conceptual representation, and its effects on human connection and relationships within different cultural settings. To fill this gap and help spark future research in this area in the Arab world, the current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the 27-item and the 13-item versions of the interpersonal Mindfulness Scale (IMS) in a sample of Arabic-speaking adolescents from the general population.

METHODS

A web-based survey was conducted in a sample of 527 Lebanese community adolescents (Mean age = 15.73 ± 1.81 years; 56% females). The IMS was translated from English into Arabic using the forward-backward translation method. Participants completed the long and short forms of the IMS, as well as the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form (BPAQ-SF), and the 5-item Brief Irritability Test.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analyses provided support to the four-factor structure of both the 27-item and the 13-item IMS (i.e., Presence, Awareness of Self and Others, Nonjudgmental Acceptance, and Nonreactivity). The original and the short form versions of the IMS yielded excellent internal consistency in our sample, with a Cronbach's α coefficients of 0.95 and 0.90, and McDonald's omega coefficients of 0.95 and 0.90, respectively. Multigroup comparisons suggested the factorial invariance of the Arabic 27-item and 13-item IMS between male and female participants at the metric, configural, and scalar levels. Finally, the concurrent validity of both full-length and short form of the IMS appeared to be good and comparable, as attested by patterns of correlations in expected directions with outcome variables (i.e., aggression, anger, hostility, and irritability).

CONCLUSION

The present findings provide support for the good psychometric qualities of the Arabic translation of the IMS in both long and short forms, suggesting that these scales are suitable for use to measure interpersonal mindfulness in Arabic-speaking youth, at least in Lebanon. We expect that the IMS, in particular its shortest form, will prompt more systematic investigation of interpersonal mindfulness in the Arabic-speaking populations, especially with regard to enhancing healthy communications with others and building effective social relationships.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Schizophrenia poses significant societal challenges, including interpersonal tension, an increased risk of suicide, and soaring medical costs. Although antipsychotics can prevent relapses, they often give rise to adverse effects and do not provide lasting relief. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) emerge as a hopeful avenue for improving outcomes. However, existing research and meta-analyses of the efficacy of MBI in schizophrenia remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of MBI as an adjunctive therapy for schizophrenia. Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception dates up to January 12, 2023. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata software (version 15.0) and Review Manager 5.4. The quality of the included RCTs was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool. A total of 18 RCTs were included, with 675 patients and 704 health controls. Our meta-analysis revealed that MBI significantly improved psychosocial function, insight, and mindfulness in individuals with schizophrenia. The quality of the included RCTs had a low to moderate risk of bias. These findings suggest that MBI holds promise for improving the mental health of individuals with schizophrenia.

Integrating mindfulness into the extended process model of emotion regulation: The dual-mode model of mindful emotion regulation

Extensive research has been conducted regarding how people manage their emotions. Within this research, there has been growing attention toward the role of mindfulness in emotion regulation. While prior reviews have discussed mindfulness in the context of emotion regulation, they have not provided a thorough integration using the prevailing models of emotion regulation or mindfulness. The present review discusses the Extended Process Model of Emotion Regulation and Monitoring and Acceptance Theory of mindfulness in order to propose a novel integrated framework, the Dual-mode Model of Mindful Emotion Regulation (D-MER). This model proposes two "modes" of mindfulness: Implementation and facilitation. Implementation posits that mindfulness skills can be used as emotion regulation strategies through attentional deployment and cognitive change. Facilitation posits that mindfulness as a state or trait affects emotion generation and regulation through effects on cognitive processes and positive or negative valence systems. Further, the D-MER posits that mindfulness experience can improve the efficiency of mindfulness-based emotion regulation strategies (implementation) while effects of mindfulness on emotion regulation processes become increasingly trait-like and automatic over time (facilitation). Empirical and theoretical support for this model are discussed, specific hypotheses to guide further research are provided, and clinical implications are presented. Use of this model may identify mechanisms underlying the interaction between mindfulness and emotion regulation which can be used in ongoing affective and clinical research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relationship Between Perceived Stress and Smartphone Addiction: The Mediating Effect of Rumination and The Mediated Moderating Effect of Mindfulness

OBJECTIVE

This study was to examine the mediated moderation effect of mindfulness through rumination on the relationship between perceived stress and smartphone addiction. In particular, this study examined the moderating effect of mindfulness in detail by dividing it into five sub-factors.

METHODS

An online self-report questionnaires were conducted on 697 participants aged 20 to 59. Finally, 681 participants (male=356, female=325) were included final analysis. Moderating effect, mediated moderating effect were verified using PROCESS macro for SPSS v3.5.

RESULTS

First, perceived stress was positively related to smartphone addiction. Second, rumination mediated the relationship between perceived stress and smartphone addiction. Third, acting with awareness and nonjudging of experience, which are a sub-factor of mindfulness, moderated the relationship between perceived stress and smartphone addiction. Fourth, mindfulness facets (acting with awareness and nonjudging of experience) moderated the relationship between rumination and smartphone addiction. Finally, there was a mediated moderating effect of mindfulness facets (acting with awareness and nonjudging of experience) on the relationship between perceived stress and smartphone addiction through rumination.

CONCLUSION

This research suggests the useful and specific therapeutic interventions that help lower the level of the adults' addiction on smartphones.

Mental Health and Quality of Life in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Depression: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients may experience pessimism, and even despair, due to long-term nature of the condition, which increases the risk of depression. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can relieve depression. This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the effects of MBSR on mental health and quality of life in CKD patients with mild-to-moderate depression, so as to provide guidance for clinical nursing programs.

METHODS

The clinical data of 100 CKD patients with mild-to-moderate depression who were treated in Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences from January 2021 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on nursing method received, the patients were divided into the conventional group (conventional management) and the MBSR group (MBSR therapy was implemented in addition to conventional management). After matching, there were 35 cases in each group. The scores for the self-rating depression scale (SDS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Five-factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

After management, the SDS and PSQI scores of the MBSR group were lower than those of the conventional group, and the CD-RISC, FFMQ and SF-36 scores were higher than those of the conventional group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

MBSR can improve the mental health, sleep quality, and quality of life of CKD patients with mild-to-moderate depression, and improve psychological resilience and mindfulness.

Prevalence and influencing factors of PTSD symptoms among healthcare workers: A multicenter cross-sectional study during the surge period of the COVID-19 pandemic since December 2022 in the Chinese mainland

BACKGROUND

China has experienced a surge period of COVID-19 pandemic since December 2022. Healthcare workers (HCWs) were exposed to huge workload under high risk of being infected, and significant levels of trauma, which might cause Post-traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) symptoms in HCWs.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the prevalence of PTSD symptoms among HCWs in the Chinese mainland during the surge period of the COVID-19 pandemic; to explore their psycho-social factors of PTSD symptoms.

METHODS

A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs in Chinese mainland from January 5 to February 9, 2023, covering seven geographical regions. 6552 participants were recruited by convenience sampling. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, work-related factors, and psychological factors by online questionnaires. Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used to determine the influencing factors of PTSD symptoms.

RESULTS

The prevalence of PTSD symptoms among HCWs was 37.49 %. A higher level of mindfulness, resilience, and perceived social support were protective factors. Female gender, nurses, higher educational attainment, married status, more working years, higher perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 due to work, and higher perceived work intensity were risk factors.

CONCLUSION

High prevalence of PTSD symptoms among HCWs necessitates psychological interventions. Tailored interventions, designed by professional psychiatrists, should be tailored to address the stressors. A comprehensive approach, incorporating mindfulness, resilience-building, and perceived social support enhancement, is vital to bolster the mental well-being of HCWs exposed to traumatic events, thus mitigating the impact of PTSD effectively. Additionally, it is essential to provide support to HCWs with other potential risk factors.

Facets of Mindfulness Mediate the Relationship Between Attachment Orientation and Emotion Regulation in University Students

Whilst both mindfulness and adult attachment have been linked to wellbeing, little is known about how these constructs relate to emotion regulation that can underpin wellbeing. The present study examined the association between adult attachment orientation and emotion regulation (strategies and difficulties) and the mediating role of facets of dispositional mindfulness. A sample of 301 university students (Mage = 23.08, SD = 8.08; 74.75% female) completed measures of adult attachment, emotion regulation, difficulties in emotion regulation, and dispositional mindfulness. Parallel multiple mediation analyses indicated that the act with awareness and non-judging facets of mindfulness repeatedly emerged as significant mediators in the positive associations between the dimensions of attachment insecurity (anxiety, avoidance, and disorganized) and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and difficulties in emotion regulation. Those individuals exhibiting greater attachment insecurity employ maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and display difficulties in emotion regulation via mindfulness deficits. The present findings extend our current understanding of the role of dispositional mindfulness in the associations between adult attachment orientation and varying aspects of the emotion regulation process.

Effect of cognitive behavioural therapy and yoga for generalised anxiety disorder on sleep quality in a randomised controlled trial: the role of worry, mindfulness, and perceived stress as mediators

Sleep disturbances are present in ~65% of individuals with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Although both Kundalini yoga (KY) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are effective treatment options for GAD, little is known about how these treatments compare in improving sleep for GAD and what drives these changes. Accordingly, we examined the effects of CBT, KY, and stress education (SEdu; an attention control condition) on subjective sleep quality (as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] and Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]) in a randomised controlled trial of 226 adults with GAD (mean age 33.37 years; 70% female; 79% White). We hypothesised that both CBT and KY would outperform SEdu in improving sleep disturbances. Three potential mediators of sleep improvement (worry, mindfulness, perceived stress) were also examined. In line with hypotheses, PSQI and ISI scores significantly improved from pre- to post-treatment for all three treatment groups (all p < 0.001, all d > 0.97). However, contrary to predictions, sleep changes were not significantly greater for CBT or KY compared to SEdu. In mediation analyses, within-person deviations in worry, mindfulness, and stress each significantly mediated the effect of time on sleep outcomes. Degree of change in sleep attributable to worry (CBT > KY > SEdu) and perceived stress (CBT, KY > SEdu) was moderated by treatment group. Personalised medicine as well as combined treatment approaches should be studied to help reduce sleep difficulties for patients with GAD who do not respond.

App-based mindfulness training supported eudaimonic wellbeing during the COVID19 pandemic

A randomized-controlled-trial study (N = 219) tested two pre-registered hypotheses that mobile-phone app-based mindfulness training improves wellbeing and increases self-transcendent emotions: gratitude, self-compassion, and awe. Latent change score modeling with a robust maximum likelihood estimator was used to test how those changes are associated in the training versus the waiting-list group. The training increased wellbeing and all self-transcendent emotions regardless of interindividual variance in the changes across time. Changes in all self-transcendent emotions were positively associated with changes in wellbeing. The strength of those associations was comparable in the waiting-list group and the training group. More studies are needed to test whether the effects of mindfulness practice on wellbeing are driven by increases in self-transcendent emotions. The study was conducted over 6 weeks during the COVID19 pandemic. The results indicate that the mindfulness training can be an easily accessible effective intervention supporting eudaimonic wellbeing in face of adversity.

Switching off automatic pilot to promote wellbeing and performance in the workplace: the role of mindfulness and basic psychological needs satisfaction

Introduction and method

Building on self-determination theory, this study aims to advance the happy-productive worker thesis by examining a sequential mediation linking trait mindfulness to task performance through basic psychological need satisfaction and psychological wellbeing at work. Whereas most of the papers published on the topic stem from USA and Europe, we tested our model in a Canadian sample of 283 French-speaking workers.

Results

Based on structural equation modeling, results show that the three need satisfactions at work mediate the relationship between trait mindfulness and psychological wellbeing at work. Rather than observing a sequential mediation, we find an indirect effect of trait mindfulness on task performance through the satisfaction for one of the basic psychological need (i.e., competence).

Discussion

The present research goes beyond previous studies by exploring a new pair of happy construct-productive criteria alongside an emergent intrapersonal factor contributing to this relationship.

The effectiveness of mindful hypnotherapy on difficulties in emotion regulation, mindfulness, and mental health in patients with major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND

More than 300 million people are affected by major depressive disorder, and despite advances in treatments over the past 50 years, this number is increasing worldwide. Due to the high prevalence and increasing numbers, along with problems in various aspects of the patient's life, new effective treatments are essential in this field.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was a single-blinded randomized clinical trial. Thirty-four patients with major depressive disorder who were referred by clinical psychologists in the clinical psychology clinic of the Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned to the intervention and wait-list control groups. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form were administered during the baseline and post treatment. Analyses of covariance and the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure were performed to determine the difference between study groups.

RESULTS

The results of the analysis of covariance and repeated measures ANOVA showed a clinically significant decrease in difficulties in emotion regulation and a significant increase in mindfulness and mental health in the intervention group (P < 0.001). The mean score (standard deviation) of the difficulties in emotion regulation scores was 123.75 (21.10) in the experimental group at baseline and significantly decreased to 76.19 (26.45) and 68.00 (22.83) after the intervention and two-month follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001). Additionally, the mean scores (standard deviation) for mindfulness and mental health were 93.06 (8.23) and 19.63 (7.92), respectively, at baseline and significantly increased to 149.43 (16.99) and 51.62 (9.78), respectively, after the intervention and to 144.18 (20.55) and 48.50 (13.52) after a two-month follow-up (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The results show that mindful hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for improving difficulties in emotion regulation, mindfulness, and mental health in patients with major depressive disorder.

The protective value of trait mindfulness for mothers' anxiety during the perinatal period

OBJECTIVES

Anxiety is highly prevalent in the perinatal period and can have negative consequences for the mother and the child. Extensive research has been done on risk factors for anxiety during the perinatal period, but less is known about protective factors. The current study aims to determine the relative contribution of trait mindfulness as a protective factor for anxiety.

METHODS

A longitudinal study design was used, with four measurement points: 12, 22, and 32 weeks of pregnancy (T0, T1, and T2, respectively), and 6 weeks postpartum (T3). General anxiety was measured at T1, T2, and T3, pregnancy-specific distress was measured at T1 and T2, mindfulness facets (acting with awareness, non-reacting, and non-judging) and partner involvement were measured at T1, and other known risk factors for anxiety were measured at T0. Multilevel regression models were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Mindfulness facets measured at T1 were negatively associated with anxiety at T1, T2, and T3, and pregnancy-specific distress at T1 and T2. Of the mindfulness facets, non-judging was shown to have the largest protective effect against anxiety and pregnancy-specific distress. Also compared to partner-involvement and known risk factors, non-judging showed the largest effect on anxiety and pregnancy-specific distress.

CONCLUSIONS

For pregnant women who are at risk for developing or experiencing high levels of anxiety, it may be beneficial to participate in a mindfulness training with special attention for the attitudinal aspects of mindfulness.

An empirical investigation of the associations between metacognition, mindfulness experiential avoidance, depression, and anxiety

BACKGROUND

The aims of this study were to explore the possible relation between metacognition, mindfulness, and experiential avoidance, as well as their association with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data was collected from a community sample (N = 364) who completed the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-24 (FFMQ-24), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

RESULTS

There were moderate-strong associations between mindfulness (FFMQ-24), metacognition (MCQ-30), and experiential avoidance (AAQ-II) (0.62 - 0.67), and they showed similar relations with symptoms of depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) (0.57 - 0.71). Mindfulness, experiential avoidance, and the non-judging subscale of FFMQ-24 constituted a latent factor of flexibility in cognition and emotional experience, while three FFMQ-24 subscales (describing, acting with awareness, and observing) constituted a present-centered attention and awareness factor. Regression analyses indicated that flexibility explained more of the variance in symptoms of anxiety and depression than present-centered attention and awareness.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that flexibility in cognitive and emotional regulation skills could be important in explaining symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Guided self-help mindfulness-based intervention for increasing psychological resilience and reducing job burnout in psychiatric nurses: A randomized controlled trial

AIMS

The present study aimed to explore the effects of a guided self-help mindfulness intervention on psychological resilience and job burnout among psychiatric nurses.

BACKGROUND

Psychiatric nurses work in challenging and potentially high stress settings. Mindfulness interventions can improve psychological resilience and reduce job burnout of nurses. However, face-to-face delivery of mindfulness interventions may be inconvenient for individuals. Guided self-help interventions may be more accessible.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial was conducted from January to August 2022. One hundred and eighteen psychiatric nurses were randomized into the intervention and control groups. The individuals in the intervention group received an 8-week guided self-help mindfulness intervention, while the individuals in the control group received a psycho-educational brochure. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey were used to evaluate the levels of mindfulness, psychological resilience and job burnout, respectively.

RESULTS

After an 8-week intervention, compared with the control group, the levels of mindfulness and psychological resilience were higher, while the level of job burnout was lower in the intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

The guided self-help mindfulness intervention can improve psychological resilience and reduce job burnout among psychiatric nurses.

Dispositional mindfulness profiles in pregnant women: relationships with dyadic adjustment and symptoms of depression and anxiety

Introduction

Pregnancy is a time of major transition that can be stressful for women. Dispositional mindfulness may protect individuals when they face stress. Recent studies have adopted a person-centered approach to examine the role of mindfulness by identifying subtypes of individuals based on their scores in five mindfulness facets. Latent profile analysis was used to identify different mindfulness profiles in a sample of pregnant women, and we explored the relationships between these profiles, depression and anxiety symptoms, and whether dyadic adjustment mediated these relationships.

Method

A total of 535 women aged 18-45 years in their 26th week of pregnancy completed questionnaires regarding mindfulness, dyadic satisfaction and cohesion, and depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results

Three profiles were identified: (1) low mindfulness (53.8%), (2) moderate mindfulness (34.3%), and (3) non-judgmentally aware (11.9%). The most adaptive profile was the non-judgmentally aware profile. Compared to the low mindfulness profile, the non-judgmentally aware profile and the moderate mindfulness profile were related to fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, and these relationships were partly mediated by dyadic satisfaction.

Discussion

These results suggest that analyzing each pregnant woman's mindfulness profile can improve the prevention of and interventions for anxiety and depression.

Are Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Related to Peace of Mind? The Mediating Role of Nonattachment

Peace of mind is an important affective well-being valued in Chinese culture. Mindfulness and self-compassion could potentially promote peace of mind. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects were not well understood. The current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether nonattachment explained the effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind. A sample of 364 Chinese adults was recruited from WeChat, a popular Chinese social media platform. Participants filled out an online survey including measures of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, nonattachment, and peace of mind. The results of correlation analyses revealed significant and positive associations among mindfulness, self-compassion, nonattachment, and peace of mind. Furthermore, nonattachment significantly mediated the associations between mindfulness and self-compassion with peace of mind. Moderated mediation analyses indicated that the relationships between mindfulness and self-compassion with nonattachment were stronger for women than for men. Gender did not moderate the direct effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind, the relationship between nonattachment and peace of mind, and the mediating effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind through nonattachment. These findings suggest that nonattachment may be a potential mechanism through which mindfulness and self-compassion promote peace of mind among Chinese adults. If the mediating effects are confirmed in future longitudinal and experimental studies, mindfulness and self-compassion interventions can emphasize nonattachment to optimize their effects on peace of mind. It may also be important to tailor mindfulness and self-compassion training for men and women given the gender differences in the relationships between mindfulness and self-compassion with nonattachment.

Low mindfulness is related to poor sleep quality from middle adolescents to emerging adults: a process model involving resilience and emotional dysfunction

OBJECTIVES

Transitions from middle adolescence into merging adulthood, a life stage between age 15-25, has a high prevalence of sleep problems. Mindfulness is a trait defined as being attentive to the present moment which positively relates to sleep quality. In this study, we aimed to investigate how resilience and emotional dysfunction may influence the relationship between trait mindfulness and sleep quality.

METHODS

The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were used to measure the key variables through an online survey of 497 participants between middle adolescence and emerging adults (317 females, mean age 18.27 ± 0.76 years). A process model was built to investigate the mediating roles of resilience and emotional dysfunction in the impact of trait mindfulness on sleep quality, together with the relationships between their specific components.

RESULTS

We found a positive association between mindfulness and sleep quality through resilience and through emotional dysfunction, and through the sequential pathway from resilience to emotional dysfunction. Of note, acting with awareness (mindfulness facet) showed significant indirect effects on sleep quality, mediated by resilience and emotional dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings may unveil the underlying mechanisms of how low mindfulness induces poor sleep quality. The findings indicate that conceiving mindfulness as a multifaceted construct facilitates comprehension of its components, relationships with other variables, and underscores its potential clinical significance given its critical implications for mental health.

Factors that contribute to trait mindfulness level among hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder

Mindfulness training among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) reduces symptoms, prevents relapse, improves prognosis, and is more efficient for those with a high level of trait mindfulness. Upon hospital admission, 126 MDD patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief, Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Rumination Response Scale (RRS). The 65 patients that scored less than the median of all subjects on the FFMQ were placed into the low mindfulness level (LML) group. The other 61 patients were placed in the high mindfulness level (HML) group. All facet scores were statistically different between the mental health assessment scores of the HML and LML groups except for RRS brooding and FFMQ nonjudgement. Trait mindfulness level exhibited a negative and bidirectional association with MDD severity primarily through the facets of description and aware actions. Trait mindfulness was also related positively with age primarily through the facets of nonreactivity and nonjudgement. Being married is positively associated with trait mindfulness levels primarily through the facet of observation and by an associated increase in perceived quality of life. Mindfulness training prior to MDD diagnosis also associates positively with trait mindfulness level. Hospitalized MDD patients should have their trait mindfulness levels characterized to predict treatment efficiency, help establish a prognosis, and identify mindfulness-related therapeutic targets.

Mindfulness facets differentially relate to self-reported negative and positive emotional eating types in treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity

BACKGROUND

Mindfulness is a meaningful therapeutic target in the treatment of emotional eating in adults with overweight/obesity. Descriptive research mapping relations between mindfulness facets and emotional eating types in treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity is needed.

METHODS

Cross-sectional relations between mindfulness facets (i.e., acting with awareness, describe, non-judgment, non-reactive, and observe; Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form) and emotional eating types (i.e., self-reported negative and positive emotional eating; Emotional Eating Scale-Revised, Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of adults with overweight/obesity (N = 63).

RESULTS

Significant bivariate correlations revealed negative relations between mindfulness facets and emotional eating types. Multiple regressions revealed that higher describe (β = - 0.42, p = 0.004) mindfulness was associated with lower self-reported emotional eating-anger/anxiety; higher non-reactive (β = - 0.31, p = 0.01) and non-judgment (β = - 0.28, p = 0.02) mindfulness were associated with lower self-reported emotional eating-depression; and higher non-judgment (β = 0.26, p = 0.04) mindfulness was associated with higher self-reported emotional eating-positive.

CONCLUSIONS

Describe, non-judgment, and non-reactive mindfulness were uniquely and significantly associated with eating in response to negative and positive emotions. Results suggest the potential need for intervention programs to be sensitive to the multidimensional nature of mindfulness in the treatment of distinct types of emotional eating in adults with overweight/obesity.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

To be aware, or to accept, that is the question: Differential roles of awareness of automaticity and pain acceptance in opioid misuse

BACKGROUND

Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) are commonly prescribed long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for analgesia, placing this population at increased risk for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder. Acceptance of aversive experiences (e.g., chronic pain) and awareness of automatic thoughts and behaviors (i.e., automaticity) are two facets of dispositional mindfulness that may serve as protective mechanisms against opioid misuse risk. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the differential contributions of these constructs to opioid misuse risk among adults with CLBP receiving LTOT.

METHODS

Data were obtained from a sample of 770 adults with opioid-treated CLBP. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to determine whether chronic pain acceptance and awareness of automatic thoughts and behaviors explained a statistically significant portion of variance in opioid misuse risk after accounting for the effects of other relevant confounders.

RESULTS

Hierarchical regression results revealed that chronic pain acceptance and awareness of automatic thoughts and behaviors contributed a significant portion in the variance of opioid misuse risk. Awareness of automatic thoughts and behaviors was negatively associated with opioid misuse risk, such that individuals with lower levels of awareness of automaticity were at higher risk of opioid misuse. By contrast, pain acceptance was not associated with opioid misuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that awareness of automaticity may buffer against opioid misuse risk. Interventions designed to strengthen awareness of automaticity (e.g., mindfulness-based interventions) might be especially efficacious among this population.

Accepting Things as They Are: Dispositional Mindfulness, Decentering, Self-Compassion, and the Impact of Stuttering on Adults Who Stutter

PURPOSE

Mindfulness is defined as intentional, present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness. Previous studies have proposed that mindfulness practice may benefit people who stutter. This study aimed to test the relationship between levels of dispositional mindfulness in people who stutter and the impact of stuttering and whether self-compassion and the metacognitive ability of shifting to an objective perspective (decentering) mediate this relationship. It is hypothesized that greater dispositional mindfulness is associated with attenuated negative impact of stuttering on a person's life through a higher capability to shift into an objective and compassionate perspective.

METHOD

A total of 150 Israeli adults who stutter completed a full online survey in Hebrew to assess their levels of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, decentering capability, and impact of stuttering on their lives. The relationships between constructs were assessed using Pearson's correlation and mediation analysis.

RESULTS

The adverse impact of stuttering was negatively and moderately associated with dispositional mindfulness, such that individuals with greater self-reported dispositional mindfulness reported fewer reactions to stuttering, difficulty in communication, and higher quality of life. This relationship was fully and sequentially mediated via decentering and self-compassion, which were also negatively and moderately associated with the impact of stuttering.

CONCLUSIONS

People who stutter with greater dispositional mindfulness have an increased ability to view their experiences in a more objective and compassionate manner, which is associated with an attenuated impact of stuttering on their lives. As these capabilities can be cultivated through practice, this study proposes mindfulness practice as an additional beneficial tool for people who stutter.

Mindfulness and COVID-19-Related Stress: Staying Present During Uncertain Times

Objectives

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic is recognized as a mass traumatic event in which COVID-19-related stress (CS) can indicate other trauma- and/or stressor-related disorder. The facets of mindfulness (observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreacting) have been linked to reductions in stress-related symptoms and thus may protect against CS. We extended previous research by evaluating mindfulness facets as resilience skills negatively related to CS.

Method

Undergraduate students (n = 495) completed an online battery of questionnaires. A subsample of students endorsing clinically elevated CS (n = 165) was also evaluated. We utilized hierarchical regression to account statistically for the mindfulness facets in addition to indicators of psychological distress (e.g., negative affect, neuroticism, dissociation) and social desirability. We performed analyses twice, once in the overall sample, and once in the high CS subsample.

Results

Less observing and greater nonjudging related to reduced CS while other study variables were controlled for in the overall sample. In contrast, acting with awareness and nonjudging negatively related to CS in the subsample, but were not related to CS when we accounted for psychological-distress variables that positively related to CS in the analysis.

Conclusions

Although variables indicative of psychological distress robustly contribute to CS, observing, acting with awareness, and nonjudging may be mindfulness skills that can be targeted to buffer clinically significant CS.

Preregistration

This study was not pre-registered.

A Network Investigation of Core Mindfulness Processes

Objective

Mindfulness has been associated with improved psychological well-being and health, although outcomes from mindfulness-based interventions are mixed. One challenge is a limited understanding about which specific processes are core to mindfulness. Network analysis offers a method to characterize the core processes of mindfulness.

Methods

This study used network analysis to identify which processes are central to mindfulness (have the strongest connectivity with other mindfulness processes) as measured by the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire- Short Form, analyzed at the item-level. Data were obtained from baseline of a randomized clinical trial of smartphone app-based mindfulness training for smoking cessation.

Results

The most central processes in the mindfulness network included, "I think some of my emotions are bad or inappropriate and I shouldn't feel them," an aspect of Nonjudgment/acceptance; as well as "I can easily put my beliefs, opinions, and expectations into words," and "It's hard for me to find the words to describe what I'm thinking," aspects of Describing.

Conclusions

Findings help to clarify which processes are to mindfulness, contributing to a better understanding of the definition of mindfulness, and suggest factors that may be promising to target in mindfulness-based interventions. Future research should examine if mindfulness-based interventions may be improved by targeting these core mindfulness processes.

Trait Mindfulness, Compassion, and Stigma Towards Patients with Mental Illness: A Study Among Nurses in Sri Lanka

Objectives

Stigma towards persons with mental illness is widespread. Mindfulness may protect against stigma by cultivating accepting attitudes, non-reactivity, and prosocial emotions. This study aimed to assess whether higher trait mindfulness among nurses was linked to lower stigma towards psychiatric patients, and whether compassion mediated this relationship.

Method

In this cross-sectional study among nurses in four tertiary care hospitals in Sri Lanka, stigma towards psychiatric patients was assessed using the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-9), which assesses nine separate domains of stigma. The 20-item Six-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the 5-item Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale were used to assess mindfulness and compassion, respectively. Correlations among these variables were explored. Mediation analyses were performed.

Results

A total of 405 nurses (90.6% female, mean age = 39.6 years) participated in the study. Those with higher trait mindfulness were more likely to believe they would help a person with mental illness, and less likely to believe a person with mental illness should be avoided or segregated from the society. Compassion was inversely correlated with avoidance and anger, and positively correlated with pity, helping, and coercion domains. Trait mindfulness was positively correlated with compassion. Mediation models revealed that compassion partially mediated the effects of trait mindfulness on helping and avoidance. Facet-level analyses revealed significant effects of describing, non-reactivity, and observing on several stigma domains mediated through compassion.

Conclusions

Trait mindfulness among nurses appears to have a direct buffering effect against several domains of stigma towards psychiatric patients and significant indirect effects through compassion, albeit with small effect sizes.

Preregistration

This study is not pre-registered.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness in Recovery from Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study examined whether a 4-week group-based mindfulness intervention would be superior in reducing psychological distress in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients compared to a psychoeducation and cognitive behavioural skills learning support active control group.

METHODS

Patients with CRC were randomized via Computerised Permuted Block Randomisation to mindfulness or active control groups (2-h weekly sessions over 4 weeks). Outcomes were measured pre-intervention, and 8 weeks and 6 months post-baseline. The primary outcome was psychological distress measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Secondary outcomes were generic quality of life (QoL), disease specific QoL, mindfulness, and intervention credibility and acceptability.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight participants were randomized to mindfulness (n=35) or active control group (n=33). Uptake of potentially eligible patients consenting was low (28.0%) and the dropout rate was 33.8%. Depression scores were reduced in both groups at week 8 (P=0.020). Control participants had greater improvement in generic mental QoL scores at week 8 than mindfulness (P=0.023). In disease specific QoL, there was reduction in impotence symptom in the mindfulness group (P=0.022) and reduction in faecal incontinence in the control group (P=0.019). The embarrassment symptom had a significantly lower increase in the mindfulness group at week 8 compared to the control group (P=0.009). Both groups rated the treatments as credible and acceptable.

CONCLUSIONS

Mindfulness was not superior to the active control group in terms of alleviating psychological distress but both treatments were associated with some improvements in depression. There was low uptake of both interventions. (Trial registration number: ACTRN12616001033437).

The association between facets of mindfulness and COVID-19 related distress: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Trait mindfulness could function as a protective factor against distress. The current study investigated the relationship of the five distinct facets of mindfulness and COVID-19 related distress.

METHODS

An online self-report study was conducted in a Dutch sample (N = 811; M_age = 49 ± 17; 54.5 % female) in February 2021. Dispositional mindfulness was assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the COVID Stress Scale was used to assess COVID-19 related distress.

RESULTS

Multivariate regression analyses showed that describing and non-judging were inversely related to COVID-19 related distress. Specifically, describing was related to fewer socioeconomic worries, while describing and non-judging were negatively associated with traumatic stress symptoms. Non-judging was negatively associated with COVID-19-related compulsive checking.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that individuals high in mindfulness traits describing and non-judging, experience less distress during the pandemic. Teaching mindfulness skills and practice could be helpful in global situations like pandemics.

Psychological flexibility in older adulthood: a scoping review

OBJECTIVES

Psychological flexibility/inflexibility (PF/PI) is a core component of the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) model, which is gaining more attention in the geropsychological literature. This scoping review examines the size and scope of the research on PF/PI in older adulthood related to age differences between older adult and younger samples, correlates relevant to psychological health, and changes with ACT.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Peer-reviewed articles available in English were included that: had a mean age ≥65 and a minimum age ≥60; and reported self-report measures of PF/PI. We categorized PF/PI into three domains: open, aware, and engaged.

RESULTS

Forty-six articles were included. Most studies measured open or aware domains; few measured the engaged domain. Older adults evidenced greater awareness compared to younger adults (9 of 13 analyses were significant). Openness and awareness consistently yielded medium to large correlations with anxiety and depression. PF/PI did not relate with positive affect and inconsistently correlated with quality of life measures.

CONCLUSION

Despite emerging trends, variability and limitations were evident in the literature. Specifically, measurement issues, lack of conceptual clarity, and the omission of values and behavioral measures require future attention.

The effect of mindfulness intervention on internet negative news perception and processing: An implicit and explicit approach

The internet facilitates the formation of the information society while also accelerating the viral spread of negative news and negative emotions, increasing public uncertainty and depression and impeding consensus, especially in the post-pandemic period. Mindfulness intervention, which has a positive effect on attention focus, self-regulation, and subjective wellbeing, is proven to mitigate negative emotional effects, and even alter mind patterns. The study aimed to give insight into the effect of mindfulness in the new media field, concerning trait mindfulness improvement, emotional arousal and regulation, and implicit attitudes from the perspective of intra-personal communication and positive communication. The study conducted a randomized pre-test-post-test control group design, with 3 (condition groups: mindfulness vs. placebo vs. control) × 2 (test times: pre vs. post). Participants who were exposed to negative news coverage with negative emotional arousal received 14 consecutive days of intervention. The results showed that mindfulness training can improve trait mindfulness effectively on the whole, especially in facets of describing, acting awareness, and non-judgment, and mitigate the negative effect from bad information coverage, while mindfulness intervention on mind patterns and expectations on controversial issues still awaited future empirical research. The present study intended to bridge the bonding between positive psychology and new media studies by focusing on individual attention improvement and negative emotion regulation, in the expectation that trait mindfulness can be beneficial in individual infodemic syndromes such as judgment bias and information exhaustion, and avoidance.

Trait mindfulness and sleep: Interactions between observing and nonreactivity in the association with sleep health

The current study investigated the associations between trait mindfulness and sleep health and examined the interactions between theoretically related mindfulness subscales. Participants (n = 162, M_age = 19.93) reported trait levels of mindfulness and sleep was assessed using questionnaires and actigraphy. Higher mindfulness scores in awareness, nonreactivity, and nonjudgment were associated with better sleep health. The associations between observing and sleep health were moderated by nonreactivity. Results indicate that observing is associated with better sleep health at higher levels of nonreactivity and worse sleep health at lower levels, helping to explain the often-contradictory findings between observing and health outcomes.

Dispositional mindfulness, alexithymia and sensory processing: Emerging insights from habituation of the acoustic startle reflex response

There is growing evidence of beneficial effects of mindfulness developed through engaging in mindfulness training/practices on sensory and cognitive processing, emotion regulation and mental health. Mindfulness has also been conceptualised as a dispositional 'trait', i.e. the naturally-occurring ability of meditation-naïve individuals to display, in varying degree, a non-judgmental non-reactive present-moment awareness in everyday life. In this study we examined possible associations between dispositional mindfulness, alexithymia and sensory processing. Eye-blink startle responses to acoustic stimuli of varying intensity [90-dB or 100-dB over 70-dB (A) background] were assessed in 26 meditation-naïve adults (50 % men) using electromyographic recordings of the orbicularis muscle. All participants completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. A negative association was found between dispositional mindfulness and alexithymia (r = -0.513). There was stronger startle habituation to 100-dB, compared to 90-dB probes. Stronger startle habituation (larger negative habitation slope values) to 100-dB probes was significantly associated with higher dispositional mindfulness (r = -0.528) and with lower alexithymia at trend level (r = 0.333). As indicated by commonality analysis, 10.6 % of explained variance in habituation (100-dB probes) was common to both alexithymia and mindfulness, 17.3 % was unique to mindfulness, but alexithymia made negligible unique contribution (0.5 %). These findings indicate similar startle habituation pattern in people with a high level of dispositional mindfulness to that reported previously by Antonova et al. (2015) in people with moderate mindfulness meditation practice intensity. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms, such as interoceptive awareness, that might underly these relationships.

Mindfulness training selectively reduces altruistic behaviour in low-cost situations

There have been rich debates about whether and how mindfulness alters prosocial behaviour. Nevertheless, few empirical studies have touched on how mindfulness training (MT) influences altruistic behaviour under high- and low-cost situations in a real-life scenario. The present study aimed to examine the effect of mindfulness training on altruistic willingness at different cost levels. A total of 41 females participated in our study and were randomly assigned to the MT and control groups. They completed the empathy-altruism task and Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) before and after an 8-week experimental intervention, during which the MT group attended the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme, while the control group remained as usual. The MT group presented a significant increase in overall FFMQ scores after the 8 weeks of MBCT. However, their willingness to help declined in the low-cost situation at post-test. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between the increase in the scores of the observing facet and willingness to help in the high-cost situation in the MT group. The changes in describing facet were a negative predictor of the change in empathy in the low-cost situation. Taken together, 8-week MBCT enhanced the level of mindfulness but reduced people's willingness to help in the low-cost situation.

Relationship between early-life stress and trait mindfulness in adulthood: a correlational study

BACKGROUND

To investigate the relationship between early-life stress (ELS) and the trait mindfulness level in workers.

METHOD

This study is quantitative cross-sectional and correlational research with a sample of 929 workers from a Brazilian public university. ELS and mindfulness assessment was performed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-BR (FFMQ-BR), respectively. The data were submitted to correlation tests adopting a significance level of .05 and a multivariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

50.0% of the participants obtained a score indicative of ELS exposure in at least one subtype among the five proposed by the CTQ, with emotional neglect predominating (63.0%). The group not exposed to emotional abuse had higher scores in the "describe-positive formulation" and "non-reactivity to inner experience" facets. Those that scored for physical abuse had higher values in "acting with awareness-autopilot". However, the group exposed to sexual abuse obtained the highest score in the "acting with awareness-autopilot" and "acting with awareness-distraction" facets. The correlation between FFMQ-BR and CTQ overall scores showed a weak correlation with statistical significance. The multiple linear revealed that the facets of mindfulness were significantly associated by at least one type of early stress; however, no significant association was found between CTQ and FFMQ-BR overall results.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that emotional regulation might have effectively occurred in this specific population, even with the presence of some childhood trauma.

Individually delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in concomitant problematic substance use and emotional symptoms: A process-based case study

The process-based approach assumes that transdiagnostic psychological processes are involved in the onset and maintenance of mental disorders. Case conceptualization is used to identify such psychological processes and to individualize the intervention accordingly. This approach is fundamentally different from syndrome-based approaches in which standardized treatments are administered for psychiatric diagnoses or symptoms. In the current case, we proposed a process-based conceptualization and treatment for a woman with concomitant problematic substance use and emotional symptoms. Our idiosyncratic process-based conceptualization showed that for this person, substance abuse consisted in a maladaptive coping strategy to deal with repetitive negative thinking and poor emotion regulation skills, for which we decided to use a mindfulness-based intervention. Treatment comprised 8 weeks of individually delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions. A comprehensive assessment of psychiatric symptoms and psychological processes was conducted at baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. The post-treatment assessment revealed that psychological processes targeted by the intervention were improved, together with the mindfulness trait. At the symptom-based level, we observed a significant reduction in substance abuse and emotional symptoms. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up. From a process-based perspective, this result implies that the intervention successfully targeted the psychological processes underlying the presenting symptoms. Adopting a process-based approach rather than symptom- or syndrome-based approaches is a valuable alternative in the conceptualization and treatment of complex cases presenting with multiple comorbidities.

Cognitive reappraisal, emotional expression and mindfulness in adaptation to bereavement: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Maladaptive emotion regulation strategies increase prolonged grief and depressive symptoms following bereavement. However, less is known about the role of adaptive emotion regulation strategies in adaptation to loss. Therefore, we examined the concurrent and longitudinal associations of three putative adaptive emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, emotional expression, and mindfulness) with prolonged grief and depression symptoms.

DESIGN

A two-wave longitudinal survey.

METHODS

A sample of 397 bereaved Dutch adults (89% female, mean age 54 years) completed validated questionnaires to assess trait cognitive reappraisal, emotional expression, mindfulness and prolonged grief and depression symptoms at baseline (T1) and 344 participants completed symptom measures again six months later (T2).

RESULTS

Zero-order correlations demonstrated that mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal and emotional expression relate negatively to T1 and T2 prolonged grief and depression symptoms. In multiple regression analyses, controlling for relevant background variables, all emotion regulation strategies related negatively to T1 prolonged grief and depression symptoms. In multiple regression analyses, controlling for T1 symptoms and background variables, mindfulness predicted lower T2 depression symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Adaptive emotion regulation strategies relate negatively to post-loss psychopathology symptoms, yet only mindfulness longitudinally predicts lower depression symptoms. Dispositional mindfulness may be a protective factor in psychological adaptation to bereavement.

Risk and resilience factors associated with college students' psychological distress and PTSD symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: College students are experiencing pronounced mental health difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known, however, about underlying risk and resilience factors contributing to students' psychological health during this time. The current study examined mindfulness, resilience, coping, emotion regulation, and daily hassles as possible predictors of COVID-19 concern, psychological distress, and PTSD symptoms in a sample of college students. Participants: One hundred and thirty-five undergraduate college students participated in this study during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants completed a series of self-report questionnaires. Results: Risk and resilience factor hierarchical regression models were run separately to predict the three outcomes. Daily hassles, ethnicity, and first-generation college student status predicted greater COVID-19 concern; daily hassles and difficulties with emotion regulation predicted greater psychological distress; daily hassles, difficulties with emotion regulation, avoidant coping, and problem-focused coping positively predicted PTSD symptoms. Acting with awareness mindfulness and continuing-generation college student status predicted lower COVID-19 concern; acting with awareness mindfulness, nonjudging mindfulness, and resilience predicted lower psychological distress; acting with awareness mindfulness, nonjudging mindfulness, and resilience also predicted lower PTSD symptomatology. Conclusions: Identifying underlying factors associated with college students' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic may facilitate the development and implementation of targeted preventative interventions aimed at promoting well-being in this uniquely vulnerable population.

Mindfulness for mediating the relationship between self-control and alexithymia among Chinese medical students: A structural equation modeling analysis

Backgrounds

Medical students are prone to experience alexithymia due to academic work overload, which could increase the prevalence of mental illness such as anxiety and depression. The purpose of our study was to estimate the levels of alexithymia and to explore the relationships between alexithymia, self-control, and mindfulness among medical students.

Materials and methods

From March 18th, 2021 to April 9th, 2021, a cross-sectional study with stratified sampling was carried out in China Medical University, Liaoning Province, China. A total of 1,013 medical students participated in this study. The questionnaires pertaining to the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Self-control Scale (SCS) were used to assess the levels of alexithymia, mindfulness and self-control. We used Hierarchical Multiple Regression (HMR) and structural equation modeling to explore the mediating role of mindfulness between self-control and alexithymia.

Results

The mean score of alexithymia in medical students was 69.39 ± 9.9. After controlling for confounders, males were more likely to experience alexithymia. Self-control, acting with awareness, describing, and observing in mindfulness were negatively associated with alexithymia (P < 0.01). Mindfulness mediated the relationship between self-control and alexithymia (a*b = -0.06, BCa 95% CI: -0.09 to -0.031, Percentile 95% CI: -0.089 to -0.031).

Conclusion

Chinese medical students experienced high levels of alexithymia. Self-control could directly attenuate alexithymia for medical students and indirectly affect alexithymia through the mediating path of mindfulness. Initiatives for self-control ability enhancement should be provided to medical students to combat alexithymia. And interventions on mindfulness training should be developed to prevent from alexithymia and promote their mental health.

Awareness: An empirical model

In this work, we face the time-honored problem of the contraposition/integration of analytical and intuitive knowledge, and the impact of such interconnection on the onset of awareness resulting from human decision-making processes. Borrowing the definitions of concepts like intuition, tacit knowledge, uncertainty, metacognition, and emotions from the philosophical, psychological, decision theory, and economic points of view, we propose a skeletonized mathematical model grounded on Markov Decision Processes of these multifaceted concepts. Behavioral patterns that emerged from the solutions of the model enabled us to understand some relevant properties of the interaction between explicit (mainly analytical) and implicit (mainly holistic) knowledge. The impact of the roles played by the same factors for both styles of reasoning and different stages of the decision process has been evaluated. We have found that awareness emerges as a dynamic process allowing the decision-maker to switch from habitual to optimal behavior, resulting from a feedback mechanism of self-observation. Furthermore, emotions are embedded in the model as inner factors, possibly fostering the onset of awareness.