Individuals with Mental Illness Can Control their Aggressive Behavior Through Mindfulness Training

Mindfulness decreases driving anger expression: The mediating effect of driving anger and anger rumination

Mindfulness is a state of being fully attentive to the current moment and is an experiential way of living in daily life. As a personal trait, mindfulness has been proven to enhance various negative emotions and behaviors. However, in the field of driving, there is still a lack of research on the mechanisms of mindfulness on anger expression behavior, specifically aggressive driving. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to reveal the impact of mindfulness on drivers' aggressive driving behaviors and the mediating effect of driving anger and anger rumination. A total of 350 (208 males and 142 females) participants in China voluntarily completed a series of questionnaires, including the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Driving Anger Scale (DAS), the Anger Rumination Scale (ARS) and the Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX). The hierarchical multiple regression analysis and pathway analysis results showed that mindfulness negatively predicted driving anger, anger rumination and driving anger expression. Moreover, driving anger and anger rumination mediated the relationship between mindfulness and driving anger expression, accounting for 9.51% and 18.74% of the total effect, respectively. The chain-mediated effect of driving anger and anger rumination accounted for 8.00% of the total effect. This study has revealed some of the internal mechanisms through which mindfulness reduces aggressive driving. It fills a part of the gap in understanding the protective role of mindfulness in the driving domain. Furthermore, it suggests mindfulness interventions for drivers, which may have the potential to enhance overall road safety.

Meta-Analysis of Mindfulness-Based Program Soles of the Feet for Disruptive Behaviors

Mindfulness-based programs are a promising intervention modality for reducing disruptive behavior, and Soles of the Feet (SOF) is one program that teaches internal awareness of personal events (e.g., unpleasant emotions) and a self-regulation strategy to decrease disruptive behaviors. This study conducted a meta-analysis of single-case research design (SCRD) studies that implemented SOF to decrease disruptive behaviors. Existing SOF studies were evaluated using high-quality SCRD standards, resulting in 15 studies included in the analysis (49 participants; mean age 23.12 years (SD = 15.87); highly heterogeneous backgrounds). Studies were analyzed to calculate effect sizes using Tau-U, an innovative non-parametric statistical approach for estimating effect sizes in SCRD studies. The aggregated weighted Tau-U effect size of SOF across all studies was -0.87. Moderator analyses indicated SOF's effectiveness was robust across participant characteristics and delivery formats. This meta-analysis suggests that SOF is a moderately effective evidence-based practice for reducing disruptive behavior.

Peer relationships and stress: Indirect associations of dispositional mindfulness with depression, anxiety and loneliness via ways of coping

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents higher in the trait of dispositional mindfulness report fewer socioemotional problems. Focusing on the domain of peer stressors, we tested a model of adolescents' mindfulness as a resource that undergirds more constructive stress coping responses, in turn resulting in fewer socioemotional problems.

METHOD

The participants were 361 Australian secondary school students (40% boys; ages 11 to 18; M = 14.9 years; SD = 1.4). Each completed a questionnaire to report four facets of dispositional mindfulness; engagement and disengagement coping and involuntary stress responses to recent peer interpersonal stressful events; and socioemotional problems of loneliness, social anxiety, and depression.

RESULTS

Adolescents who reported more dispositional mindfulness, including facets of awareness, describing, non-judgement and non-reactivity, were lower in involuntary peer stress responses, disengagement coping, loneliness, social anxiety, and depression; associations of mindfulness facets with engagement coping were mixed. Mediational path models showed that almost all the significant negative associations of dispositional mindfulness with loneliness, social anxiety and depression were fully indirect via peer stress coping responses. Further, an alternative model, which tested whether loneliness, social anxiety and depression were the instigators of stress coping responses via mindfulness, had an adequate but poorer fit.

CONCLUSION

As hypothesized, the benefit of adolescents' dispositional mindfulness for reducing loneliness, social anxiety and depression seems to be indirect, with positive peer stress coping responses key mediators in these indirect pathways. It is less likely that the alternative occurs, whereby adolescents' socioemotional problems are the foundation for mindfulness and peer stress coping responses.

Breaking Beyond the Borders of the Brain: Self-Control as a Situated Ability

“I just couldn’t control myself” are the infamous last words of a person that did something that they knew they should not have done. Consistent self-control is difficult to achieve, but it is also instrumental in achieving ambitious goals. Traditionally, the key to self-control has been assumed to reside in the brain. Recently, an alternative has come to light through the emergence of situated theories of self-control, which emphasize the causal role of specific situated factors in producing successful self-control. Some clinical interventions for motivational or impulse control disorders also incorporate certain situated factors in therapeutic practices. Despite remaining a minority, situated views and practices based on these theories have planted the seeds of a paradigm shift in the self-control literature, moving away from the idea that self-control is an ability limited to the borders of the brain. The goal of this paper is to further motivate this paradigm shift by arguing that certain situated factors show strong promise as genuine causes of successful self-control, but this potential role is too often neglected by theorists and empirical researchers. I will present empirical evidence which suggests that three specific situated factors – clenched muscles, calming or anxiety-inducing environmental cues, and social trust – exhibit a specialized effect of increasing the likelihood of successful self-control. Adopting this situated view of the ability to regulate oneself works to reinforce and emphasize the emerging trend to design therapies based on situated cognition, makes self-control more accessible and less overwhelming for laypeople and those who struggle with impulse control disorders, and opens a new avenue of empirical investigation.

Using Q-methodology to explore mental health nurses' knowledge and skills to use recovery-focused care to reduce aggression in acute mental health settings

When nurses practise recovery-focused care, they contribute positively to the consumer's mental health recovery journey and empower the person to be actively engaged in the management of their illness. While using recovery-focused care is endorsed in mental health policy, many health professionals remain uncertain about its application with consumers who have a risk for aggression during their admission to an acute mental health inpatient setting. This paper reports on Australian research using Q-methodology that examined the knowledge and skill components of recovery-focused care that nurses use to reduce the risk for aggression. The data from forty mental health nurses revealed five factors that when implemented as part of routine practice improved the recovery outcomes for consumers with risk of aggression in the acute mental health settings. These factors were as follows: (I) acknowledge the consumers' experience of hospitalization; (II) reassure consumers who are going through a difficult time; (III) interact to explore the impact of the consumer's negative lived experiences; (IV) support co-production to reduce triggers for aggression; and (V) encourage and support consumers to take ownership of their recovery journey. These findings provide nurses with a pragmatic approach to use recovery-focused care for consumers with risk for aggression and contribute positively to the consumers' personal recovery.

Application of mindfulness on stress, anxiety, and well-being in an adolescent student: A case study

BACKGROUND

Stress and anxiety are the major problems students face in their lives and specifically in their academic life, which, in turn, has a significant negative impact on their academic performance. There are different approaches to deal with stress and anxiety, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques.

OBJECTIVE

The present study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of mindfulness on stress, anxiety, and psychological well-being in an adolescent student.

METHODS

In this study, single-case study design was used. The Pediatric Symptoms Checklist, Youth Self-Report, Institute of Personality and Ability Testing Anxiety Scale, and Checklist of Psychological Well-Being were administered on ten adolescent students. After the initial assessment, one participant was selected who was having significant level of stress, anxiety, and poor psychological well-being. Further detailed assessment was done using the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices, Parents' Observation Checklist, Teachers' Observation Checklist, and Students' Self-Observation Checklist. The student underwent 24 sessions of mindfulness training with a frequency of three sessions in a week. After completion of sessions, post assessment was done. He was re-assessed after 3 months.

RESULTS

After completion of mindfulness training, improvement was observed in stress, anxiety, well-being, and other variables, and the improvement was maintained till follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Mindfulness training has the potential in effectively reducing stress and anxiety and increasing a sense of well-being, but the major barrier is getting fixated with an idea of what's the right way to do mindfulness and feel it.

Longitudinal cross-lagged analyses between cyberbullying perpetration, mindfulness and depression among Chinese high school students

The aim of this study is to examine the longitudinal relationships between cyberbullying perpetration, mindfulness, and depression among Chinese adolescents. The participants in our study included 1390 high school students who were randomly selected from several secondary schools in east China. Participants completed the Chinese version of Revised Cyber Bullying Inventory-Cyberbullying Subscale, the Chinese version of the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children at two time points (6-month interval). The results found that cyberbullying, mindfulness and depression would predict each other over time. Contributions to theory, limitations in our research and recommendations for future intervention are discussed in this article.

Mindfulness and Acceptance as Potential Protective Factors for Mothers of Children With Fragile X Syndrome

Women with an FMR1 premutation may be at increased genetic risk for stress vulnerability. This increased vulnerability, when combined with stressful parenting that can result from raising children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), may result in negative physical and emotional outcomes. Mindfulness and acceptance have been found to be protective factors for parents of children with similar behavioral challenges, but these traits have not previously been explored among mothers with a child with FXS. This study explored the associations of child disability severity with maternal stress, anxiety, depression, and physical health symptoms in 155 biological mothers of children with FXS. Women completed an online survey using standardized measures of stress, mindfulness, and acceptance. General mindfulness, mindfulness in the parenting role, and general acceptance were explored as potential protective factors between the child disability severity and maternal outcomes. Trait mindfulness and acceptance were significant predictors of lower stress, anxiety, depression, and daily health symptoms, while mindful parenting was associated with lower stress, anxiety, and depression. Acceptance was found to attenuate the effects of child severity on maternal stress and depression. These findings suggest that interventions focused on improving mindfulness and acceptance may promote health and well-being for mothers of children with FXS and have important health implications for all individuals with an FMR1 premutation.

Applying the Generalized Logistic Model in Single Case Designs: Modeling Treatment-Induced Shifts

Many analytical approaches to single-case data assume either linear effects (regression-based methods) or instant effects (mean-based methods). Neither assumption is realistic; therefore, these approaches’ assumptions are often violated. In this article, we propose modeling curvilinear effects to appropriately parametrize the characteristics of singe-case data. Specifically, we introduce the generalized logistic function as adequate function for this situation. The merits of the proposed procedure are demonstrated using data previously used in single case research that represent typical single case data. We provide the function with auxiliary graphical options to demonstrate the model parameters. The function is freely available in the R package “userfriendlyscience.” The proposed procedure is a new way to analyze single case data, which may provide applied single case researchers with a new tool to better understand their data and avoid applying methods with violated assumptions.

Mobile Mindfulness Intervention on an Acute Psychiatric Unit: Feasibility and Acceptability Study

BACKGROUND

Aggression and violence on acute psychiatric inpatient units is extensive and leads to negative sequelae for staff and patients. With increasingly acute inpatient milieus due to shorter lengths of stay, inpatient staff is limited in training and time to be able to provide treatments. Mobile technology provides a new platform for offering treatment on such units, but it has not been tested for feasibility or usability in this particular setting.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of a brief mindfulness meditation mobile phone app intended to reduce anger and aggression in acute psychiatric inpatients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder, and a history of violence.

METHODS

Participants were recruited between November 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016. A total of 13 inpatients at an acute care state hospital carried mobile phones for 1 week and were asked to try a commercially available mindfulness app called Headspace. The participants completed a usability questionnaire and engaged in a qualitative interview upon completion of the 7 days. In addition, measures of mindfulness, state and trait anger, and cognitive ability were administered before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Of the 13 enrolled participants, 10 used the app for the 7 days of the study and completed all measures. Two additional participants used the app for fewer than 7 days and completed all measures. All participants found the app to be engaging and easy to use. Most (10/12, 83%) felt comfortable using Headspace and 83% (10/12) would recommend it to others. All participants made some effort to try the app, with 6 participants (6/12, 50%) completing the first 10 10-minute "foundation" guided meditations.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first known study of the use of a commercially available app as an intervention on acute psychiatric inpatient units. Acutely ill psychiatric inpatients at a state hospital found the Headspace app easy to use, were able to complete a series of meditations, and felt the app helped with anxiety, sleep, and boredom on the unit. There were no instances of an increase in psychotic symptoms reported and there were no episodes of aggression or violence noted in the record.

A mindfulness-based intervention for self-management of verbal and physical aggression by adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome

PURPOSE

There is a dearth of clinical and research literature on the treatment of maladaptive behaviors in adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention, Meditation on the Soles of the Feet (SoF), to facilitate self-management of verbal and physical aggression.

METHOD

We utilized a multiple-baseline design across participants to test the intervention with three adolescents diagnosed with PWS.

RESULTS

Relative to baseline, verbal aggression decreased to minimal levels following mindfulness-based practice and physical aggression was nearly eliminated. Intervention effects were maintained at 12-month follow-up. Quantitative analytics confirmed statistically significant outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The SoF mindfulness intervention was effective in reducing verbal and physical aggression in three adolescents with PWS. Future research should test the SoF intervention with this clinical population in a larger clinical trial, and the SoF intervention may be applicable to other pediatric populations.

How Can Single-Case Data Be Analyzed? Software Resources, Tutorial, and Reflections on Analysis

The present article aims to present a series of software developments in the quantitative analysis of data obtained via single-case experimental designs (SCEDs), as well as the tutorial describing these developments. The tutorial focuses on software implementations based on freely available platforms such as R and aims to bring statistical advances closer to applied researchers and help them become autonomous agents in the data analysis stage of a study. The range of analyses dealt with in the tutorial is illustrated on a typical single-case dataset, relying heavily on graphical data representations. We illustrate how visual and quantitative analyses can be used jointly, giving complementary information and helping the researcher decide whether there is an intervention effect, how large it is, and whether it is practically significant. To help applied researchers in the use of the analyses, we have organized the data in the different ways required by the different analytical procedures and made these data available online. We also provide Internet links to all free software available, as well as all the main references to the analytical techniques. Finally, we suggest that appropriate and informative data analysis is likely to be a step forward in documenting and communicating results and also for increasing the scientific credibility of SCEDs.

Mindfulness Training Assists Individuals With Moderate Mental Retardation to Maintain Their Community Placements

The mindfulness procedure Meditation on the Soles of the Feet can help individuals with mild mental retardation control aggressive behavior. In this study, our aim was to teach this mindfulness technique, using a multiple baseline design, to 3 individuals with moderate mental retardation who were at risk of losing their community placements because of their aggressive behavior. These individuals initially found the procedure difficult to comprehend because they could not easily visualize past anger-producing situations, but mastery was achieved when we incorporated recreating-the-scene as a prompt and added a discriminative stimulus on the soles of the participants' feet. Aggressive behavior decreased with mindfulness training, and follow-up data showed that they managed their aggressive behavior in the community for at least 2 years and thus were able to retain their community placements.

Both trait and state mindfulness predict lower aggressiveness via anger rumination: A multilevel mediation analysis

Trait mindfulness, or the capacity for nonjudgmental, present-centered attention, predicts lower aggression in cross-sectional samples, an effect mediated by reduced anger rumination. Experimental work also implicates state mindfulness (i.e., fluctuations around one's typical mindfulness) in aggression. Despite evidence that both trait and state mindfulness predict lower aggression, their relative impact and their mechanisms remain unclear. Higher trait mindfulness and state increases in mindfulness facets may reduce aggression-related outcomes by (1) limiting the intensity of anger, or (2) limiting rumination on anger experiences. The present study tests two hypotheses: First, that both trait and state mindfulness contribute unique variance to lower aggressiveness, and second, that the impact of both trait and state mindfulness on aggressiveness will be uniquely partially mediated by both anger intensity and anger rumination. 86 participants completed trait measures of mindfulness, anger intensity, and anger rumination, then completed diaries for 35 days assessing mindfulness, anger intensity, anger rumination, anger expression, and self-reported and behavioral aggressiveness. Using multilevel zero-inflated regression, we examined unique contributions of trait and state mindfulness facets to daily anger expression and aggressiveness. We also examined the mediating roles of anger intensity and anger rumination at both trait and state levels. Mindfulness facets predicted anger expression and aggressiveness indirectly through anger rumination after controlling for indirect pathways through anger intensity. Individuals with high or fluctuating aggression may benefit from mindfulness training to reduce both intensity of and rumination on anger.

Physical Aggression and Mindfulness among College Students: Evidence from China and the United States

Background: The link between trait mindfulness and several dimensions of aggression (verbal, anger and hostility) has been documented, while the link between physical aggression and trait mindfulness remains less clear. Method: We used two datasets: one United States sample from 300 freshmen males from Clemson University, South Carolina and a Chinese sample of 1516 freshmen students from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Multiple regressions were conducted to examine the association between mindfulness (measured by Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS)) and each of the four subscales of aggression. Results: Among the Clemson sample (N = 286), the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: β = −0.62, p < 0.001; Verbal: β = −0.37, p < 0.001; Physical: β = −0.29, p < 0.001; Anger: β = −0.44, p < 0.001. Among the Shanghai male subsample, the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: β = −0.57, p < 0.001; Verbal: β = −0.37, p < 0.001; Physical: β = −0.35, p < 0.001; Anger: β = −0.58, p < 0.001. Among the Shanghai female subsample (N = 512), the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: β = −0.62, p < 0.001; Verbal: β = −0.41, p < 0.001; Physical: β = −0.52, p < 0.001; and Anger: β = −0.64, p < 0.001. Discussion: Our study documents the negative association between mindfulness and physical aggression in two non-clinical samples. Future studies could explore whether mindfulness training lowers physical aggression among younger adults.

Mindfulness-Based Program for Management of Aggression Among Youth: A Follow-up Study

BACKGROUND

Youth have shown indulgence in various high-risk behaviors and violent activities. Yoga-based approaches have been used for the management of psychological problems. The present work explores the role of mindfulness-based program in the management of aggression among youth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sociodemographic information schedule, Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and World Health Organization quality of life were administered on 50 subjects in the age range of 18-25 years at pre- and post-mindfulness-based program level.

RESULTS

It revealed the presence of feeling of well-being and ability to relax themselves; changes in score of anger, hostility, physical, and verbal aggression; and enhancement of quality of life in the physical and environment domains at 1 month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Mindfulness-based program has shown changes in aggression expression/control and implies integration of it in available program for the management of aggression among youth.

Becoming a more mindful practitioner: the effectiveness of a Mindfulness-based CBT course in meeting training needs for clinical staff in adult mental health Urgent Care services

This paper describes a service development which arose from an adult mental health inpatient ward team who wanted to be able to work more effectively to help patients who had major difficulties with emotion regulation. It was proposed that enhancing mindfulness through a Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme within the core staff team would enhance therapeutic milieu and therefore general outcomes associated with engagement and recovery. The training delivered was an adapted 8-week MBCT programme. A double baseline design was used with measures taken at 1 month before training and immediately before the programme started. Standardized and non-standardized measures were administered at pre-, mid-, post-, and 1-month follow-up points. Workshops and interviews supported the investigation of staff experience and impact of MBCT training. Participants in the training were nursing and occupational therapy staff. The trainer was the first author (C.M.), who is a cognitive behavioural therapist and mindfulness teacher at Newcastle Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Centre, specializing in emotion regulation and stabilization. Results showed that staff reported a significant increase in mindfulness which had a positive impact upon their wellbeing and perceived ability to respond skilfully to challenging situations at work and at home. Gains were mostly in the first half of training but were maintained to the end and to follow-up. This adapted mindfulness training course appeared to be effective in meeting the need for a group of clinical staff to develop mindfulness. The potential impact upon patient engagement has been identified but further research into this area is indicated.

Effect of Dynamic Meditation on Mental Health

Although traditional meditation has been found to be effective in improving physical and mental health of subjects, there was a paucity of research of the effect of active or dynamic meditation on these variables. Therefore, the present study was aimed at studying the effect of dynamic meditation on mental health of the subjects. Total sample of the present study comprised 60 subjects, 30 each in experimental and control group. Subjects in experimental group were given 21-day training in dynamic meditation. Mental health of the experimental and control group subjects was measured in pre- and post-condition with the help of Mental Health Inventory developed by Jagadish and Srivastava (Mental Health inventory, Manovaigyanik Parikshan Sansthan, Varanasi, 1983). Obtained data were analyzed with the help of ANCOVA. In post-condition, experimental group scored better than control group on integration of personality, autonomy and environmental mastery. Effect sizes of dynamic meditation on these dimensions of mental health were large. However, experimental group and control group did not differ significantly on positive self-evaluation, perception of reality and group-oriented attitude dimensions of mental health in post-condition. Overall, dynamic meditation training was effective in improving mental health of the subjects.

Does hostile rumination mediate the associations between reported child abuse, parenting characteristics and borderline features in adulthood?

This cross-sectional study investigated whether hostile rumination mediated the association between several indicators of a negative childhood environment (retrospectively reported child abuse and perceived parental care and overprotection) and borderline features. Community participants (N = 524) completed self-report measures in the laboratory. Results showed that adults exhibiting borderline features reported less parental care and more parental overprotection, as well as greater abuse. Additionally, hostile rumination statistically mediated the associations between all childhood environmental variables and borderline features, even controlling for depressive symptoms, alcohol use and impulsivity. Although cross-sectional data cannot test causal mediation, this pattern of results provides preliminary evidence that hostile rumination may partially account for the well-established connection between negative environments and borderline features. Future directions, including a discussion of longitudinal and experimental work that might help build on and strengthen the current findings, are explored.

The relation between trait mindfulness and aggression in men seeking residential substance use treatment

There has been an abundance of research in recent years on mindfulness, including mindfulness within individuals seeking substance use treatment. However, to date, there has been no research on whether trait mindfulness is associated with increased aggression among individuals seeking substance use treatment. Past research has demonstrated that individuals in substance use treatment evidence higher levels of aggression than non-substance abusers, and preliminary research has shown that trait mindfulness is inversely associated with aggression in non-substance-use treatment-seeking populations. The current study examined whether trait mindfulness was associated with aggression among men seeking residential substance use treatment (N = 116). Results demonstrated that lower trait mindfulness was associated with increased aggression (physical, verbal, and aggressive attitude). Moreover, this relation held for both verbal aggression and aggressive attitude after controlling for alcohol use, drug use, and age, all known predictors of aggression. Findings provide the first evidence that mindfulness is negatively associated with aggression among men in substance use treatment, which could have important implications for intervention. That is, mindfulness-based interventions may prove helpful for the treatment of both substance use and aggression.

Anger Rumination as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Aggression: The Utility of a Multidimensional Mindfulness Model

OBJECTIVES

Mindfulness training reduces anger and aggression, but the mechanisms of these effects are unclear. Mindfulness may reduce anger expression and hostility via reductions in anger rumination, a process of thinking repetitively about angry episodes that increases anger. Previous research supports this theory but used measures of general rumination and assessed only the present-centered awareness component of mindfulness. The present study investigated associations between various aspects of mindfulness, anger rumination, and components of aggression.

METHOD

The present study used self-report measures of these constructs in a cross-sectional sample of 823 students.

RESULTS

Structural equation modeling revealed that anger rumination accounts for a significant component of the relationship between mindfulness and aggression, with the largest effect sizes demonstrated for the nonjudgment of inner experiences facet of mindfulness.

CONCLUSION

Nonjudgment and present-centered awareness may influence aggression via reduced anger rumination. The importance of examining mindfulness as a multidimensional construct is discussed.

Trait and state hostile rumination facilitate alcohol-related aggression

OBJECTIVE

This investigation attempted to determine whether trait and state hostile rumination functioned as risk factors for the relation between acute alcohol intoxication and aggression.

METHOD

Participants were 516 social drinkers (252 men and 264 women). Trait hostile rumination was assessed using Caprara's Dissipation-Rumination Scale. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory task in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent under the guise of a competitive reaction-time task. Aggression was operationalized as the combined mean responses for shock intensity and duration across all trials. In a subset of the sample (n = 320), state hostile rumination was assessed following the aggression task using a self-report measure.

RESULTS

As expected, both trait and state measures acted as moderators. Specifically, acute alcohol intoxication was more likely to increase aggression in persons with higher trait and state hostile rumination scores compared with their equally intoxicated lower rumination counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the first investigation to demonstrate that trait or state rumination significantly heighten the risk of intoxicated aggression. We believe that hostile rumination facilitates intoxicated aggression because ruminators have difficulty diverting their attention away from anger-provoking stimuli and related thoughts, thus making violent reactions more likely. Clinical and public health interventions would benefit by developing strategies to distract ruminative attention away from violence-promoting messages, especially when persons are under the influence of alcohol.

Component Processes of Executive Function-Mindfulness, Self-control, and Working Memory-and Their Relationships with Mental and Behavioral Health

We examined the interrelationships between higher-order cognitive functions-mindfulness, self-control, and working memory-that appear to be component processes that underlie executive function (EF) and their association with indicators of mental and behavioral health. Data were collected from first-year medical students attending a large private university in California (N=31) via a computer-based questionnaire which was administered via email hyperlink. Results indicate that self-control schedule (SCS) scores were significantly correlated with the negative dimension of positive and negative affect schedule scores (r=-0.59, p<0.05), psychological well-being scale scores (r=0.46, p<0.05), and mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS) scores (r=0.35, p≤0.10). The planful behavior dimension of the SCS was correlated with MAAS scores (r=0.38, p<0.10), automated operation span task scores (r=0.51, p<0.05), and total SCS scores (r=0.72, p<0.01). Large and significant inverse correlations were found between current meditation practice and alcohol use (r=-0.56, p<0.05) and AUDIT scores (r=-0.48, p<0.05). Findings from this pilot study suggest that an overlap exists between some component processes of EF; however, the majority of variance in the components is not shared. Moreover, these higher-order cognitive processes appear to have protective relationships with substance use and are positively associated with self-reported meditation practice.

Power of being present: the role of mindfulness on the relation between men's alcohol use and sexual aggression toward intimate partners

The primary aim of this investigation was to examine the association between men's level of mindfulness and histories of alcohol consumption and sexual aggression toward intimate partners. Participants were 167 heterosexual drinking males who completed self-report measures of mindfulness, frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption during the past 12 months and sexual aggression against intimate partners during the past 12 months. Results indicated that a history of consuming larger amounts when drinking was associated with more frequent sexual coercion/aggression among men who reported low, but not high, levels of mindfulness. However, drinking more frequently by itself was not associated with more frequent sexual coercion/aggression. These results support the attention-allocation model and suggest implications for future intervention research aimed at reducing alcohol-related aggression.

Could mindfulness decrease anger, hostility, and aggression by decreasing rumination?

Research suggests that rumination increases anger and aggression. Mindfulness, or present-focused and intentional awareness, may counteract rumination. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the relations between mindfulness, rumination, and aggression. In a pair of studies, we found a pattern of correlations consistent with rumination partially mediating a causal link between mindfulness and hostility, anger, and verbal aggression. The pattern was not consistent with rumination mediating the association between mindfulness and physical aggression. Although it is impossible with the current nonexperimental data to test causal mediation, these correlations support the idea that mindfulness could reduce rumination, which in turn could reduce aggression. These results suggest that longitudinal work and experimental manipulations mindfulness would be worthwhile approaches for further study of rumination and aggression. We discuss possible implications of these results.

The emerging role of meditation in addressing psychiatric illness, with a focus on substance use disorders

Over the past 30 years the practice of meditation has become increasingly popular in clinical settings. In addition to evidence-based medical uses, meditation may have psychiatric benefits. In this review, the literature on the role of meditation in addressing psychiatric issues, and specifically substance use disorders, is discussed. Each of the three meditation modalities that have been most widely studied-transcendental meditation, Buddhist meditation, and mindfulness-based meditation-is critically examined in terms of its background, techniques, mechanisms of action, and evidence-based clinical applications, with special attention given to its emerging role in the treatment of substance use disorders. The unique methodological difficulties that beset the study of meditation are also considered. A brief discussion then integrates the research that has been completed thus far, elucidates the specific ways that meditation may be helpful for substance use disorders, and suggests new avenues for research.

A Mindfulness-Based Health Wellness Program for Managing Morbid Obesity

There are numerous methods for reducing obesity; however, often none of these methods prove effective for specific individuals. For individuals who have failed on specific diets and other weight loss programs, finding a good match between their needs and an effective method is often difficult. The authors collaboratively developed a multicomponent mindfulness-based health wellness program with an individual who was morbidly obese and wanted a lifestyle change. The components included physical exercise, a food awareness program, mindful eating to manage rapid eating, visualizing and labeling hunger, and a mindfulness procedure as a self-control strategy. The individual reduced his weight from 315 pounds to 171 pounds, increased his physical activity, ate healthy foods, stopped eating rapidly, substantially reduced serious medical risk factors, eliminated physical discomfort and mobility problems due to his weight, and enhanced his lifestyle over almost a 5-year period. He maintained his health wellness during 12 months of follow-up.

Clinical and Benefit—Cost Outcomes of Teaching a Mindfulness-Based Procedure to Adult Offenders With Intellectual Disabilities

The effects of a mindfulness-based procedure, called Meditation on the Soles of the Feet, were evaluated as a cognitive-behavioral intervention for physical aggression in 6 offenders with mild intellectual disabilities. They were taught a simple meditation technique that required them to shift their attention and awareness from the precursors of aggression to the soles of their feet, a neutral point on their body. Results showed that physical and verbal aggression decreased substantially, no Stat medication or physical restraint was required, and there were no staff or peer injuries. Benefit—cost analysis of lost days of work and cost of medical and rehabilitation because of injury caused by these individuals in both the 12 months prior to and following mindfulness-based training showed a 95.7% reduction in costs. This study suggests that this procedure may be a clinically effective and cost-effective method of enabling adult offenders with intellectual disabilities to control their aggression.

A Mindfulness-Based Health Wellness Program for an Adolescent With Prader-Willi Syndrome

Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome have hyperphagia, a characteristic eating disorder defined by a marked delay in the satiety response when compared to controls. This eating disorder has been particularly difficult to control. The authors taught and evaluated effectiveness of regular exercise alone, regular exercise plus healthy eating, and mindfulness-based strategies combined with exercise and healthy eating to an adolescent with this syndrome. Mindfulness-based strategies included mindful eating, visualizing and labeling hunger, and rapidly shifting attention away from hunger by engaging in Meditation on the Soles of the Feet. On average, when compared to baseline levels, there were decreases in weight with regular exercise and exercise plus healthy eating, but the most consistent and sustained changes were evidenced when mindfulness training was added to exercise and healthy eating. The adolescent continued using the mindfulness health wellness program and further reduced his weight during the 3-year follow-up period.