Conceptualizing mindfulness and acceptance as components of psychological resilience to trauma

Neural Effects of One's Own Voice on Self-Talk for Emotion Regulation

One's own voice undergoes unique processing that distinguishes it from others' voices, and thus listening to it may have a special neural basis for self-talk as an emotion regulation strategy. This study aimed to elucidate how neural effects of one's own voice differ from those of others' voices on the implementation of emotion regulation strategies. Twenty-one healthy adults were scanned using fMRI while listening to sentences synthesized in their own or others' voices for self-affirmation and cognitive defusion, which were based on mental commitments to strengthen one's positive aspects and imagining metaphoric actions to shake off negative aspects, respectively. The interaction effect between voice identity and strategy was observed in the superior temporal sulcus, middle temporal gyrus, and parahippocampal cortex, and activity in these regions showed that the uniqueness of one's own voice is reflected more strongly for cognitive defusion than for self-affirmation. This interaction was also seen in the precuneus, suggesting intertwining of self-referential processing and episodic memory retrieval in self-affirmation with one's own voice. These results imply that unique effects of one's own voice may be expressed differently due to the degree of engagement of neural sharpening-related regions and self-referential networks depending on the type of emotion regulation.

A formative evaluation of 'Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resiliency' with Hispanic adolescents prior to and during Covid-19

Youth living in poverty are more likely to experience cumulative stressors including multiple adverse childhood events. Further, the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionality affected Hispanic youth and communities, leading to unprecedented levels of trauma. This research responded to a need for a youth resiliency-building program in an urban and impoverished area with a majority Hispanic population. We conducted a formative evaluation of a youth intervention entitled Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience, which aims to help youth overcome adversity and to build resilience via psychoeducation and skill development. Just prior to the pandemic in the United States (August-December, 2019), youth (N=12) participated in Mind Matters as part of an after-school program. Immediately following, we utilized focus groups to solicit youth's perspectives on the acceptability of the program, what they had learned, content areas they liked best, and their recommendations for program improvement. Follow-up phone interviews were also conducted three months later (March 2020) while youth were at home as a result of the pandemic. Youth enjoyed the program and were able to apply skills learned to cope with stress in their daily lives and across ecological contexts. Findings point to the program as particularly well-suited to older adolescents. During the pandemic, most youth continued to utilize self-soothing and mindfulness skills to emotionally self-regulate while facing challenges related to home schooling. Findings highlight the importance of trauma-resiliency programming for youth and offer recommendations to practitioners utilizing the Mind Matters program.

Integrating choice points into mindfulness training for the dissociative subtype of PTSD: A case report

Approximately 15-30 % of individuals diagnosed with PTSD experience high levels of dissociation, a condition categorized in the DSM-V as a dissociative subtype of PTSD (PTSD-D). Despite the rising number of studies supporting mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for the treatment of PTSD, literature on mindfulness and dissociation remains scarce and discording. While best practices for offering mindfulness for dissociative patients remain unclear, integrating choice points into MBIs may be aligned with trauma-informed principles and effective in countering loss of self-agency associated with trauma. In this article, we present a case study from a larger randomized controlled trial of an individual with PTSD-D who successfully completed an 8-week MBI while displaying active dissociation symptoms throughout the group. Follow-up interviews with stakeholders in the patient's care as well as pre-and post-intervention assessments indicate that the patient had a positive experience with the mindfulness training and improved self-regulation. Analysis of the case study suggests that the mindfulness training may have been safe and effective for this patient due to the integration of choice points throughout the mindfulness training and promotion of structural safety. We expand on this by further discussing six influencing factors that contributed to the outcome of the case study and can serve as a reference for clinicians, researchers, and instructors who wish to offer MBIs safely to patients with PTSD-D.

Exploring the Role of Coping Strategies on the Impact of Client Suicide: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Client suicide refers to cases where a mental health practitioner is exposed, affected, or bereaved by a client's suicide and is known to have a profound impact on MHPs. The current study investigated the role of coping styles in understanding short- and long-term impact of client suicide. An international sample of 213 mental health practitioners who experienced a client suicide completed a survey on coping strategies (i.e., Brief-COPE) and the impact of traumatic events (i.e., impact of event scale-revised, long-term emotional impact scale and professional practice impact scale). Results indicate coping strategies explain 51% of the short-term, 64% of the long-term emotional and 55% of the long-term professional differences in impact of client suicide. Moreover, while an Avoidant coping style predicted more impact of client suicide, Positive coping and Humor predicted less impact of client suicide. Social Support coping did not predict impact of client suicide. Implications for both research and clinical practice are discussed.

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.

Towards the correlates of stressful life events as precipitants of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and metanalysis

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent condition with multifactorial etiology involving genetic and environmental factors. The present study aims to summarize the correlates of stressful life events (SLEs) in OCD by reviewing studies comparing OCD associated or not with SLEs before its onset. To do so, a systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases for studies published between the database's inception and November 27, 2023. Studies including individuals whose OCD was precipitated or not by SLEs (SLEs OCD and NSLEs OCD, respectively) were assessed. Effect sizes or odds ratios were then calculated to identify the strength of association between SLEs and clinical characteristics, such as gender, age of onset, family history of OCD, severity of OCD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and mood comorbidities among patients with OCD. Out of the 4083 records initially identified, 5 studies met the inclusion criteria and 3 were comparable through a meta-analysis. Notably, the analyses were limited by the small number of studies available in the literature. The meta-analysis demonstrated SLEs OCD to be associated with female gender, later OCD onset, and increased comorbidity rates with mood disorders. Despite the cross-sectional nature of the reviewed studies, women may be more vulnerable to develop a later onset of OCD following SLEs, which may also lead to mood disorders. Caution is needed to avoid prematurely classifying this presentation as a distinct subtype of OCD.

The effect of age and resilience on the dose-response function between the number of adversity factors and subjective well-being

Background

Encountering challenges and stress heightens the vulnerability to mental disorders and diminishes well-being. This study explores the impact of psychological resilience in the context of adverse events, considering age-related variations in its influence on well-being.

Methods

A total of 442 participants (male vs. female =48% vs. 52%) with a mean age of 41.79 ± 16.99 years were collected and completed the following questionnaires Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey (BBTS), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Peace of Mind (PoM), The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ). They all underwent structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Results

Participants were categorized based on adversity levels: 34.39% faced one, 26.24% none, and 19.91, 9.50, and 8.14% encountered two, three, and four adversities, respectively. This categorization helps assess the impact on participants' experiences. As adversity factors increased, PoM decreased. Controlling for age improved PoM model fit (ΔR2 = 0.123, p < 0.001). Adversity factors and age explained 14.6% of PoM variance (df = 2, F = 37.638, p < 0.001). PoM decreased with more adversity and increased with higher age.

Conclusion

The study found most participants faced at least one adversity. Adversity negatively affected PoM scores, while resilience acted as a protective factor. Resilience plays a crucial role in buffering the impact of adversities on well-being. Among those with high adversity, higher resilience correlated with stronger DMN-right frontal pole connectivity. Brain volume showed no significant differences, but the quality of life and social support varied between subgroups, with no differences in personal demographic and biophysical features.

Psychosocial-spiritual well-being is related to resilience and mindfulness in patients with severe and/or life-limiting medical illness

BACKGROUND

Improvement of psychosocial-spiritual well-being in patients with life-threatening or life-limiting illness is desirable. Resilience and mindfulness are considered to be helpful for enhancing psychosocial-spiritual well-being. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to promote resilience to stress and enhance well-being. However, in medical patients, evidence for the associations between mindfulness and resilience is lacking. We hypothesize patients with higher levels of psychosocial-spiritual well-being demonstrate greater resilience and mindfulness.

METHODS

200 patients (mean age = 50.2, SD = 15.5) with serious and or life-limiting illnesses were recruited from the NIH Clinical Center. Patients completed a demographic questionnaire, the NIH-HEALS measure of psychosocial-spiritual well-being, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). The demographic questionnaire also included a question on current stress level.

RESULTS

The NIH-HEALS was positively correlated to CD-RISC-10 (rs=0.44, p < 0.001) and MAAS (rs=0.32, p < 0.001). These findings were consistent across all three NIH-HEALS factors. Additionally, CD-RISC-10 and MAAS demonstrated a meaningful relationship to each other (rs=0.46, p < 0.001). All three constructs were inversely related to current stress level.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that there is a meaningful relationship between psychosocial-spiritual well-being, mindfulness, and resilience. Mindfulness and resilience are positively correlated in a medical population. Clinical interventions aimed at enhancing psychosocial-spiritual well-being through mindfulness and resilience can be highly promising for patients with severe and or life limiting illness.

Mediating role of resilience in the relationships of physical activity and mindful self-awareness with peace of mind among college students

Peace of mind (PoM) is an index of mental health in Asian culture and emphasizes low arousal, happiness, harmony, and an internal state of peacefulness. While previous studies have found that mindful self-awareness can contribute to PoM, regular physical activity (PA) is also an important factor contributing to one's PoM due to its function in promoting one's resilience. The study aims to investigate a hypothetical model that assumes PA is associated with resilience while controlling for mindful self-awareness, contributing to PoM. The PoM scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Chinese translation of Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and PA self-report questionnaire were used. A path analysis was applied to test the association between these variables and the mediating role of resilience. A total of 436 students from a university in Taiwan were recruited; the mean age was 20.87, with 46.3% female and 73.6% engaging in over 150 min/week of moderate PA. Gender and age negatively correlated with PA. After controlling for age and gender, there was no direct effect of physical activity on PoM; both mindful self-awareness and PA predict resilience, which in turn predicts PoM, suggesting that both cognitive (i.e., mindful self-awareness) and PA are important to cultivate resilience and thus PoM.

Social media-based urban disaster recovery and resilience analysis of the Henan deluge

Measuring disaster resilience from the perspective of long-term recovery ability is important for the planning and construction of urban sustainability, whereas short-term resilient recovery can better reflect a city's ability to recover quickly after a disaster occurs. This study proposes an analytical framework for urban disaster recovery and resilience based on social media data that can analyze short-term disaster recovery and assess disaster resilience from the perspectives of infrastructure and people's psychological states. We consider the downpour in Henan, China, in July 2021. The results show that (1) social media data can effectively reflect short-term disaster recovery, (2) disaster resilience can be assessed using social media data combined with rainfall and damage data, and (3) the framework can quantitatively reflect the differences in disaster recovery and resilience across regions. The findings can facilitate better decision-making in disaster emergency management for precise and effective post-disaster reconstruction and psychological intervention, and provide references for cities to improve disaster resilience.

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.

Mindfulness and Subjective Well-Being of Indian University Students: Role of Resilience during COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is presently a global health issue that negatively affects the mental health and well-being of students globally. The latest investigations have recognized the role of mindfulness in individual subjective well-being. This study explores the mediating role of resilience in the overall relationship between mindfulness and subjective well-being among Indian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was collected between 10 August 2020 to 24 October 2020 via a self-administered questionnaire from 589 university students in India. Results revealed that resilience has a partial mediating role between mindfulness and subjective well-being. The results substantiate that resilience has an important role in mindfulness, exercising its advantageous effects on mental health of the students in higher education institutions. This research adds to the knowledge base of mindfulness and subjective well-being of university students, especially in contingent times. Lastly, the study contributes to the existing mindfulness theory.

Childhood Trauma and Parkinson Disease: Associations of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Disease Severity, and Quality of Life

Background and Objectives

Childhood trauma has been shown to be associated with adverse health outcomes that can last a lifetime. The effects of trauma have not been evaluated in a Parkinson disease (PD) population. The goal of this study was to survey individuals with PD to evaluate whether the intensity of childhood trauma is associated with individual symptoms, overall disease severity, or quality of life.

Methods

An Internet-based observational survey was designed to evaluate modifiable variables associated with PD progression. In this cross-sectional analysis, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were used as a measure of childhood trauma, patient-reported outcomes in PD for the primary measure of PD severity, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global for quality of life (QoL).

Results

Seven hundred twelve of 900 participants (79%) responded to the questions related to childhood trauma. Among respondents, QoL decreased as incidence of childhood trauma increased. Individuals with ACE scores 4 or higher reported greater symptom severity for 45% of the variables tested, including apathy, muscle pain, daytime sleepiness, restless leg syndrome, depression, fatigue, comprehension, and anxiety (p < 0.05) compared with individuals with trauma scores of zero.

Discussion

These data suggest childhood trauma is associated with a mild increase in overall patient-reported PD severity, specifically mood and other nonmotor and motor symptoms. While the associations were statistically significant, the impact of trauma was less robust than previously described predictors of severity, such as diet, exercise, and social connection. Future research should attempt to include more diverse populations, attempt to improve the response rate of these sensitive questions, and, most importantly, determine whether the adverse outcomes associated with childhood trauma can be mitigated with lifestyle modification, psychosocial support, and intervention in adulthood.

App-Based Mindfulness Intervention to Improve Psychological Outcomes in Pretransplant Patients With Heart Failure

Background

Patients hospitalized with life-threatening conditions experience psychological stressors that can lead to anxiety and poor patient outcomes. Mindfulness stress reduction interventions have been shown to decrease stress and anxiety with sustained effect.

Local Problem

In a single center’s cardiac care units, only pharmacological stress reduction options were embedded in the daily care plan.

Methods

This project evaluated the feasibility and effect of a brief mindfulness intervention on stress, anxiety, and resilience in 20 hospitalized patients with advanced heart failure awaiting transplant. A 1-group, pretest-posttest design over a 4-week period was used. The intervention included a one-on-one mindfulness education session and a 12-minute audio-guided tablet computer app for daily self-practice. Outcome variables measured at baseline and 2 and 4 weeks after implementation included stress (10-item Perceived Stress Scale), anxiety (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder instrument), and resilience (10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and repeated-measures analysis of variance with Friedman tests, Bonferroni post hoc tests, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs tests.

Results

Significant reductions in stress and anxiety and increase in resilience occurred from baseline to 2 weeks and 4 weeks after intervention (all P = .001). Feasibility and acceptability were evident from patient experience survey data and focused interview responses.

Conclusions

A brief mindfulness intervention holds promise for improving stress, anxiety, and resilience for patients with advanced heart failure awaiting transplant. Nurse-led stress reduction interventions are imperative for best patient outcomes. An evidence-based intervention of mindfulness practice embedded into daily usual patient care may be a feasible option.

The relationship between mindfulness, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of correlational studies

Background

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an environment in which numerous determinants of poor mental health are intensified. Lockdown, re-lockdown, and media coverage of the spread of the virus, have the potential to contribute to increased levels of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness may act as a buffer against COVID-19-related depressive and anxiety disorders.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for any study published between January 2020 and March 2022. In this study, Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 3.3 software was applied to evaluate the effect size by random effect model. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis was evaluated using indicators Q and I² indicators. Three methods were used to test for publication bias: funnel plot, Classic Fail-safe N, and Egger's linear regression. According to the features of the included articles, subgroup analysis was utilized for the moderator analysis of this study.

Results

The analysis finally included 12 articles (16 samples, N = 10,940) and obtained 26 independent effect sizes. In accordance with the meta-analysis, in the random effect model, the correlation between mindfulness and anxiety was -0.330 (p < 0.001), and the correlation between mindfulness and depression was -0.353 (p < 0.001), which supported the effect of mindfulness on anxiety and depression. In the meta-analysis of the correlation between mindfulness and anxiety, study region had an essential moderating effect (p < 0.001). The Sample type did not produce a significant moderating effect (p = 0.190). The mode of action of mindfulness was a significant moderator (p = 0.038). In the meta-analysis of the linkage between mindfulness and depression, regional differences had a significant moderating effect (p < 0.001). The sample type had no discernible moderating impact (p = 0.213). The mode of action of mindfulness was a significant moderator (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis indicated that there was an essential correlation between public mindfulness and mental health. Our systematic review added evidence supporting the beneficial nature of mindfulness. A cascading development of beneficial traits that improve mental health may start with mindfulness.

College Student Resilience During COVID-19: Examining the Roles of Mindfulness, Compassion, and Prosocial Behavior

The present study examined factors associated with resilience in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were undergraduates at a large Midwestern university in the USA (N = 848). Hierarchical linear regression analyses examined self-reported pandemic-related adversity, community COVID-19 case rates, mindfulness, compassion, and prosocialness to determine the strongest associates of resilience. Findings demonstrated that mindfulness was the only psychological process of interest significantly associated with resilience, so specific facets were further explored in a regression analysis. Specifically, higher levels of the following mindfulness skills were associated with greater resilience: ability to describe internal experiences, to remain aware while engaging in action, and to take a nonreactive stance toward internal experiences. Mindfulness-based interventions may be appropriate for promoting resilience in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Entrepreneurial mindfulness and organizational resilience of Chinese SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of entrepreneurial resilience

Organizational resilience is vital to the survival and thriving of enterprises, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there has been an increasing interest in organizational resilience, the effects from the entrepreneur perspective receive scant attention. Based on upper echelons theory (UET) and personality psychology, we propose a model in which entrepreneurial mindfulness and entrepreneurial resilience could influence organizational resilience of SMEs. We empirically analyzed a sample of 180 entrepreneurs managing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China during the COVID-19 pandemic, using SmartPLS software. The research findings indicated that entrepreneurial mindfulness is positively associated with organizational resilience and such relationship is partially mediated by entrepreneurial resilience. These findings convey important theoretical implications in this field of research as well as practical implications for SMEs in China or other countries with similar nature.

A multi-method exploration of mindfulness as a coping tool: Perspectives from trauma-exposed, unhoused women residing at a drug treatment facility

This multi-method study examined perspectives on mindfulness and coping strategies used by trauma-exposed women experiencing homelessness (WEH), residing in a state-funded residential drug treatment site in Southern California (United States). Questionnaires and in-depth focus group interviews were utilised to examine traumatic experiences over the lifespan, probable-posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and coping strategies. Mindfulness was explored as a potential way to improve coping; potential benefits and challenges associated with implementing a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with trauma-exposed WEH were also investigated. A Community Advisory Board (CAB) was formed to identify key issues experienced by WEH and to develop a semi structured interview guide (SSIG). Using the SSIG, women participated in one of four focus groups (total N = 28; n = 7 per group). Quantitative data on demographic indicators, probable-PTSD, and trauma exposure were collected. Almost 90% of women met criteria for probable-PTSD; trauma exposure was exceedingly high; most women had experienced multiple traumas throughout their lives. Four main themes emerged from qualitative analyses, which drew from Grounded Theory and used open, selective, and axial coding: (1) ways of coping with trauma; (2) perspectives on mindfulness; (3) prior experiences with mindfulness; and (4) challenges for conducting a mindfulness programme. Overall, WEH used a variety of coping techniques to deal with their trauma, had some familiarity with mindfulness, and were optimistic an MBI would be helpful, despite identifying several challenges to implementation. MBIs may be helpful adjuncts to traditional care for trauma-exposed, WEH, recovering from substance use disorder. Population-specific considerations may improve implementation and participation.

The Moderating Role of Resilience on Mindfulness, Experiential Avoidance, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms of College Student Veterans: A Cross-Sectional Study

The purpose of the study was to investigate the moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between mindfulness, experiential avoidance, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. A cross-sectional study design was used on a sample of 133 college student military veterans. We found a direct effect of mindfulness on PTSD and a significant mediating effect of experiential avoidance on the relationship between mindfulness and PTSD. Resilience also had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between mindfulness and PTSD. This study provides preliminary evidence on the usefulness of integrating resilience development in mindfulness-based interventions for trauma-related disorders.

Disaster Resilience Reduces Radiation-Related Anxiety Among Affected People 10 Years After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

This study examined whether disaster resilience affects the recovery of mental health states and mitigates psychosocial anxiety 10 years later the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. The survey was conducted in Fukushima's evacuation-directed and non-evacuation-directed areas in January 2020. The 695 participants responded to a questionnaire including items on radiation-related anxiety regarding the Fukushima Daiichi accident, an action-oriented approach as a resilience factor, psychological distress, and demographic information. The structural equation modeling showed that the action-oriented approach also eased radiation-related anxiety by mediating with improving mental health states. Moreover, a multi-group model analysis was conducted for evacuation-directed and non-directed areas. In the evacuation-directed area, we found stronger associations among resilience, mental health states, and radiation-related anxiety, and a direct effect of resilience factors on radiation risk anxiety. These findings emphasize the importance of resilience in post-disaster contexts, at least for a decade, where mental health deteriorates and various psychosocial issues become more complex.

The Wither or Thrive Model of Resilience: an Integrative Framework of Dynamic Vulnerability and Resilience in the Face of Repeated Stressors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, empirical efforts in the psychological sciences have been unequivocally focused on understanding the psychosocial impact on resilience and vulnerability. While current empirical work is guided by different existing theoretical models of resilience and vulnerability, the emerging datasets have also pointed to a necessity for an update of these models. Due to the unique features and developments specific to the current pandemic such as the occurrence of repeated collective stressors of varying durations, in the current position paper, we introduce the Wither or Thrive model of Resilience (With:Resilience). It integrates key aspects of prevailing psychological resilience frameworks within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and extends them by (1) moving away from single scale approaches towards a higher-order latent expression of resilience and vulnerability incorporating also non-clinical mental health markers, (2) proposing different trajectories of resilience-vulnerability emerging across repeated stressors over long periods of time, and (3) by incorporating multiple influencing factors including aspects of the socio-economic concept of social cohesion as well as separate mediating processing mechanisms. We propose that With:Resilience will enable a more nuanced approach and appropriate analytical investigation of the vast incoming data on mental health and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we suggest some concrete methodological approaches. This framework will assist in the development of actionable public health guidelines for society in the present and future pandemic contexts as well as aid policy making and the interventional sciences aimed at protecting the most vulnerable amongst us.

COVID-19 Victimization Experience and College Students’ Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Effect of Future Anxiety and Mindfulness

This study proposed a moderated mediation model to investigate the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction, the mediating role of future anxiety, and the moderating role of mindfulness. This study employed the COVID-19 victimization experience scale, the mobile phone addiction scale, a future anxiety scale, and a mindfulness scale in a survey study among Chinese college students; 840 valid questionnaires were received. The reliability and confirmatory factor analysis results showed that all four scales had good reliability and validity. Bootstrap results demonstrated that COVID-19 victimization experience significantly predicted mobile phone addiction in college students (B = 0.202, LLCI = 0.136, ULCI = 0.268). Future anxiety fully mediated the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction (B = 0.178, LLCI = 0.136, ULCI = 0.222). Mindfulness moderated the effect of COVID-19 victimization experience on the college students’ future anxiety (B = 0.159, LLCI = 0.007, ULCI = 0.054). A higher level of mindfulness was more likely than a lower level of mindfulness to attenuate the effect of COVID-19 victimization experience on the college students’ future anxiety. These findings broaden our understanding regarding the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction and the moderating role of mindfulness.

Mindfulness and Nondual Well-Being – What is the Evidence that We Can Stay Happy?

Research into subjective well-being (SWB) focuses on conducive life conditions, healthy cognitive-affective processes and adaptive behaviours, however, in this model, well-being fluctuates based on changing mental and physical phenomena. This inquiry explores the possibility that we can have a nondual experience of well-being that is unaffected by such movements and investigates if the literature supports this. The assertion in traditional mindfulness that the sense of self is constructed and responsible for such fluctuations is explored, along with what evidence there is that mindfulness practices deliver relevant cognitive and behavioural correlates associated with such a way of being. Proposed preconditions include (a) nondual awareness or the perception of no-self; (b) increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and increased self-lessness; (c) increased capacity to maintain (or protect) well-being including heightened emotional self-regulation and resilience to aversive stimuli. Research findings provide some evidence that the sense of self can be both constructed and deconstructed, and that mindfulness training may target psychological dimensions that could contribute to an experience of well-being that transcends the impact of life conditions. Recommendations are made for a collaborative relationship between SWB research and mindfulness to expand the inquiry into possible causes and conditions of ‘nondual well-being’.

For there is nothing either good or bad: a study of the mediating effect of interpretation bias on the association between mindfulness and reduced post-traumatic stress vulnerability

BACKGROUND

Despite increasing interest in the association between mindfulness and reduced trauma vulnerability, and the use of mindfulness in the latest interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), few studies have examined the mechanisms through which mindfulness may influence post-trauma psychopathology. The present study aimed to determine whether negative interpretation bias, the tendency to interpret ambiguous information as negative or threatening rather than positive or safe, mediates the association between higher levels of trait mindfulness and lower levels of PTSD symptoms. Negative interpretation bias was examined due to prior evidence indicating it is associated with being less mindful and post trauma psychopathology.

METHODS

The study examined 133 undergraduate students who reported exposure to one or more potentially traumatic events in their lifetime. Participants completed self-report measures of trait mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire - Short Form; FFMQ-SF) and PTSD symptoms (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian version; PCL-C) as well an interpretation bias task that assessed the degree to which participants interpreted a range of everyday hypothetical scenarios to be threatening to their physical and/or psychological wellbeing.

RESULTS

Results of a mediation analysis indicated a significant negative direct effect of trait mindfulness on PTSD symptomatology (p < .001). There was no evidence that negative interpretation bias mediated this relationship [BCa CI [-0.04, 0.03)], nor was it associated with trait mindfulness (p = .90) and PTSD symptomatology (p = .37).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study provide further evidence of the link between trait mindfulness and reduced post-trauma psychopathology while providing no support for the role of negative interpretation bias in this relationship.

Mindfulness and Attachment as Concurrent Mediators Linking Childhood Maltreatment to Depressive, Anxious, and Dissociative Symptoms

Childhood maltreatment has been consistently associated with adult symptoms of depression, anxiety, and dissociation, and attachment has been proposed as one mediator. Attachment, however, tends to only partially mediate the association, and mindfulness may be another explanatory pathway. The current study examined mindfulness and attachment in a multiple mediator model linking maltreatment to adult symptoms of depression, anxiety, and dissociation. A sample of 232 adults were recruited from two universities and an online sample who completed an online survey. Using structural equation modeling, childhood maltreatment was indirectly associated to symptoms of depression (ß = .104; 95% CI [.015, .193]), anxiety (ß = .090; 95% CI [.014, .166]), and dissociation (ß = .088; 95% CI [.006, .170]) through mindfulness. Additionally, childhood maltreatment was associated with symptoms of depression (ß = .062; 95% CI [.007, .118]), anxiety (ß = .074; 95% CI [.009, .139]), and dissociation (ß = .069; 95% CI [.017, .121]) through attachment avoidance. No significant indirect effects were found through attachment anxiety. These findings indicate that both mindfulness and attachment may be explanatory pathways linking childhood maltreatment. Inclusion of both attachment and mindfulness provides a more robust theoretical understanding of how maltreatment is associated with adult mental health.

Acting with awareness moderates the association between lifetime exposure to interpersonal traumatic events and craving via trauma symptoms: a moderated indirect effects model

BACKGROUND

History of exposure to traumatic events (ETE) is common among women in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and is related to craving. We examined whether ETE (i.e., emotional, physical, sexual abuse) in childhood, adulthood, or both is related to craving via trauma symptoms and how trait mindfulness might attenuate this association.

METHODS

Baseline data from a larger randomized clinical trial of a mindfulness-based intervention for women (N = 245) in SUD treatment were used. Inclusion criteria were: 18-65 years of age, SUD diagnosis, English fluency, no cognitive impairment, and willingness to be audio recorded and provide consent. Demographics and validated measures of ETE, posttraumatic stress symptoms, trait mindfulness, and substance use craving were collected via in-person interviews. Descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and relative direct, indirect, and conditional indirect effects models were run.

RESULTS

Most participants identified as Hispanic (58.5%), had at least a high school education (52.2%), with a mean age of 32.2. Women reported ETE in childhood only (20.4%), adulthood only (17.5%), both childhood and adulthood (50.0%), and never (11.4%). Compared to women with ETE in both childhood and adulthood, those with exposure in adulthood only (β = -.10, 95% CI = -.20, -.02) or no exposure (β = -.11, 95% CI = -.23, -.03; [∆R2= .347, F(8, 245) = 15.7, p < .001) had lower craving via lower trauma symptomatology but no difference when compared to those with ETE only in childhood. Acting with awareness moderated this indirect effect (∆R2 = .04, F(3, 245) = 4.66, p = .004. At low levels of awareness, women with ETE during both childhood and adulthood reported higher craving via trauma symptomatology than women with no exposure or only adulthood exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Low levels of acting with awareness may worsen trauma symptoms after ETE, which in turn may lead to more craving for women in substance use treatment. Despite a small moderating effect size, acting with awareness may have clinical significance due to the prevalence of trauma symptoms among women in SUD treatment.

Cognitive Coping Reduces Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Especially in the Context of Self-Blame

Following a traumatic event, coping strategies may affect the natural course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). In particular, cognitive coping strategies (how one thinks about stressors) may reduce PTSS by increasing individuals' perceived control over events, appraising them as less threatening, particularly for individuals who experience self-blame after trauma. Individuals who experience a traumatic event (n =344) completed assessments at baseline (T1), one month (T2), and two months (T3). We tested whether T1 cognitive coping strategies (positive reinterpretation, acceptance, religious coping) predicted reduced T3 PTSS and whether this reduction was mediated by increased perceived control at T2. We tested whether this effect was particularly strong for individuals experiencing self-blame. Positive reinterpretation predicted decreases in, religious coping predicted increases in, and acceptance had no direct effect on PTSS. Overall, acceptance showed the greatest potential for reducing PTSS through increased perceived control over one's life. In a fully moderated mediation model, positive reinterpretation significantly interacted and acceptance marginally interacted with self-blame to predict increased perceived control and, subsequently, decreased T3 PTSS. Specifically, acceptance and positive reinterpretation were most helpful for those with higher levels of self-blame. Religious coping interacted with self-blame to predict decreased perceived control and subsequent increased PTSS. For trauma survivors experiencing self-blame, cognitive coping strategies that utilize compassionate self-talk, such as positive reinterpretation and acceptance, may be particularly helpful at increasing perceived control after trauma, while religious coping may have deleterious effects.

Dispositional Mindfulness and Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms in Emergency Nurses: Multiple Mediating Roles of Coping Styles and Emotional Exhaustion

Objective

To explore the relationships between dispositional mindfulness (DM) and their post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) of emergency nurses, and the mediating effects of coping styles and emotional exhaustion (EE).

Methods

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted to collect data on DM, coping styles, EE, and PTSS among 571 emergency nurses from 20 hospitals in Chongqing, China. Correlation and structural equation models (SEMs) were used to evaluate the relationship among variables.

Results

Emergency nurses with lower dispositional mindfulness, higher emotional exhaustion and preference for negative coping (NC) revealed more PTSS. The effect of NC on PTSS was partially mediated by emotional exhaustion. Negative coping and emotional exhaustion played concurrent and sequential mediating roles between dispositional mindfulness and PTSS.

Conclusion

This study has made a significant contribution to existing literature. It was suggested to develop interventions aimed at enhancing mindfulness, reducing negative coping strategies, and alleviating emotional exhaustion, which may be effective at reducing or alleviating post-traumatic stress symptoms of emergency nurses.

Does Mindfulness Influence Academic Performance? The Role of Resilience in Education for Sustainable Development

A mindful person is prone to be open to novelty, attentive to distinctions, sensitive to context, aware of multiple perspectives, and focused on the present. Therefore, the role of mindfulness in educational contexts is gaining ground given the great possibilities it offers in developing students’ competences in education for sustainable development (ESD). The main goal of this study is to explore how mindfulness plays a key role in the learning process in response to the need to develop students’ emotional competencies in ESD, and specifically how mindfulness has an impact on academic performance through resilience. We tested the research model with a questionnaire addressed to 497 students from three higher education institutions and one secondary school. The results of a structural equation analysis confirm the study hypotheses. We find mindfulness is positively related to resilience, which leads to better academic performance. Thus, being mindful is a key competence in ESD since it allows young people to face their education with the highest possibilities of training, experience, and personal growth. This exploratory study offers further evidence of the need to invest in mindfulness to foster resilience and academic performance and represents a first step for designing additional interventions on this line.

Exploring the relationships between resilience, mindfulness, and experiential avoidance after the use of a mindfulness- and acceptance-based mobile app for posttraumatic stress disorder

PURPOSE

This study used a mindfulness- and acceptance-based mobile app to examine the relationships between resilience, mindfulness, experiential avoidance, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A quasi-experimental pre-posttest, single-group study design was used. A total of 23 college student veterans used the app for 4 weeks. Outcomes of resilience, mindfulness, experiential avoidance, and PTSD were measured at three time-points (baseline, end of Week 2, and end of Week 4).

FINDINGS

All outcomes significantly improved at postintervention. Improvements in resilience and PTSD significantly correlated with improvement in mindfulness.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Mindfulness- and acceptance-based mobile apps can be safely used by individuals with PTSD as a complementary approach to enhance resilient coping with PTSD.

Post-traumatic Growth and Psychological Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Serial Mediation Model

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for managing to contain, mitigate, and limit of the COVID-19. However, it is more essential to highlight the urgency and importance of evaluating social functioning and mental health status during the pandemic. College students have experienced serious problems and have had to overcome many negative situations brought about by the pandemic. Accordingly, the present study intended to use Chinese college students as sample to examine the positive adoption and changes during the ongoing COVID-19. Guided by literatures in this filed, we explored the internal mechanism of post-traumatic growth affecting psychological resilience, and considered about mediation roles of positive coping styles and cognitive reappraisal. A total of 463 college students from universities in China effectively completed online questionnaires. The result indicated that these four variables were positively correlated with each other (ps < 0.001). More importantly, our findings proved a direct and positive effect on psychological resilience. Positive coping styles and cognitive reappraisal, respectively, mediated the relationship between post-traumatic growth and psychological resilience. Over all, the hypothesized serial model conclusively fits the data: students with high-level post-traumatic growth tended to report increased use of positive coping strategies, which further facilitated their cognitive reappraisal, and subsequently, promoted their psychological resilience. The findings obtained in this study will provide a theoretical basis and possible viable strategies for both targeted crisis intervention and psychological trauma recovery plans.

The role of mindfulness and attachment security in facilitating resilience

Background

In recent years, there has been growing interest in exploring ways to facilitate positive psychological dispositions, including resilience. The goal of the present study was to explore the possibility that trait mindfulness facilitates attachment security and thus enhances resilience.

Methods

We conducted two studies based on cross-sectional surveys. In Study 1, data of 207 students studying in Japan was collected. In Study 2, we used a different sample of 203 participants and different measurements to replicate the findings of Study 1.

Results

The results of Study 1 revealed that mindfulness positively predicted resilience, while attachment anxiety and avoidance were mediators between mindfulness and resilience. The results of Study 2 showed that mindfulness positively predicted resilience, and the mediating effect of attachment avoidance was significant, but the mediating effect of attachment anxiety was not significant.

Conclusions

It is possible to facilitate attachment security through cultivating trait mindfulness, and in this way, resilience could be enhanced. The effect of different components of mindfulness on attachment and resilience requires further studies.

Building a More Diverse and Inclusive Science: Mindfulness-Based Approaches for Latinx Individuals

Objectives

This article represents a call to action for the mindfulness field to be more diverse and inclusive of Latinx individuals. Building a diverse and inclusive science around mindfulness-based approaches (MBAs) that considers important group-level cultural and contextual information is an important public health challenge in need of innovative solutions.

Methods

We describe ways that the Latinx population is poised to benefit from MBAs. We further elucidate challenges, describe potential solutions, and outline a research agenda that may hold promise for building a more inclusive mindfulness movement.

Results

Our recommendations center around developing nuanced cultural adaptations to MBAs, engaging Latinx individuals in research, increasing the rigor of scientific studies pertaining to Latinx individuals, relying on implementation science to develop innovative methods for disseminating MBAs to Latinx individuals, developing training and certification mechanisms to increase diversity and representation of Latinx mindfulness teachers, and creating mechanisms for the oversight of MBAs within this group.

Conclusions

There has been a lack of inclusivity of Latinx individuals in the field of MBAs with regards to research studies, barriers to access for economically disadvantaged groups, and lack of diversity in its workforce. Considering the recognition of adverse social drivers of health that generate chronic stress and health disparities, the Latinx population is especially poised to benefit greatly from MBAs. A diverse and inclusive mindfulness science holds promise to enhance the effectiveness, acceptability, feasibility, and wide-scale dissemination and implementation of MBAs.

Mindfulness and Valued Living in the Face of Racism-Related Stress

Objectives

Racism-related stress is associated with significant mental health costs, necessitating the development of coping strategies to mitigate the negative sequelae. Mindfulness and valued living (MVL)-based strategies may be uniquely beneficial in addressing the negative effects of racism-related stress for people of color (POC) by decreasing internalized messages, while increasing self-compassion, coping flexibility, and engagement in values-based actions. It is imperative that clinicians applying or recommending MVL strategies to POC for coping with racism-related stress understand the complex nature of racism and, given that complexity, consider how MVL may need to be adapted to be effective. This paper offers guidance to clinicians seeking to use MVL strategies with clients of color to cope with racism-related stress.

Methods

We provide a brief contextual literature review on the nature of racism, mental health impacts of racism-related stress for POC, and selected models of coping with racism-related stress. We also review existing mindfulness literature in relation to coping with racism-related stress, while offering considerations for adapting MVL strategies specifically for coping with racism-related stress.

Results

Altogether, the research points to the promise of MVL strategies as beneficial interventions for coping with racism-related stress, although more research is warranted. We recommend that clinicians consider the suggestions outlined to present MVL strategies to clients in culturally responsive, validating ways.

Conclusions

Further research is needed to evaluate links between MVL strategies and mental health, and to evaluate whether discrimination-specific adaptations are beneficial in mitigating the mental health impacts of racism-related stress.

Resilience: a mediator of the negative effects of pandemic-related stress on women's mental health in the USA

The role of resilience in mediating the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of US women is poorly understood. We examined socioeconomic factors associated with low resilience in women, the relationship of low resilience with psychiatric morbidity, and the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between pandemic-related stress and other coincident psychiatric morbidities. Using a quota-based sample from a national panel, we conducted a web-based survey of 3200 US women in April 2020. Weighted, multivariate logistic regression was used to model the odds of pandemic-related stress, and coincident depression and anxiety symptoms among those with and without low resilience. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate resilience as a mediator of the relationship between pandemic-related stress and other coincident psychiatric morbidities. Risk factors for low resilience included younger age, lower household income, lower education, unemployment, East/Southeast Asian race, unmarried/unpartnered status, and higher number of medical comorbidities. Low resilience was significantly associated with greater odds of depression symptoms (OR = 3.78, 95% CI [3.10-4.60]), anxiety symptoms (OR = 4.17, 95% CI [3.40-5.11]), and pandemic-related stress (OR = 2.86, 95% CI [2.26-3.26]). Resilience acted as a partial mediator in the association between pandemic-related stress and anxiety symptoms (proportion mediated = 0.23) and depression symptoms (proportion mediated = 0.28). In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, low resilience mediated the association between pandemic-related stress and psychiatric morbidity. Strategies proven to enhance resilience, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and addressing socioeconomic factors, may help mitigate mental health outcomes.

The Process of Learning Mindfulness and Acceptance through the Use of a Mobile App Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Grounded Theory Analysis

This study aimed to explore the process of how college student military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms learn mindfulness and acceptance through the use of a mobile app based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Twenty-three college student veterans with PTSD symptoms participated in the 4-week ACT mobile app-based intervention and took part in three weekly semi-structured interviews. Results of the grounded theory data analysis reveal the core category of Mindful Scaffolding, a process indicating how student veterans cope with the interruptions and intrusions associated with learning mindfulness and acceptance through the use of the ACT-based app. The grounded theory provides a foundational theoretical framework for increasing adherence with using mindfulness- and acceptance-based mobile app interventions for PTSD.

Mindfulness as an intervention after multisystem trauma

Background

There is a known significant risk of negative mental health consequences following traumatic injury, yet no standard approach to prevent psychiatric illness in trauma patients currently exists. Mindfulness-based psychotherapies have been shown to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety and improve resiliency, however it is unknown whether a mindfulness intervention immediately following traumatic injury would lead to diminished mental health consequences.

Methods

Multi-system trauma patients at the University of Alberta Hospital (N = 63) and the Foothills Hospital (N = 60) were assigned to the experimental and control groups respectively. Patients in the experimental group were asked to use the guided mindfulness application “Stop, Breathe & Think” for 28 consecutive days. All patients completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) 48 hours and 28 days following admission. An exit interview was conducted for patients in the experimental group.

Results

There was no significant difference in mean enrollment DASS-21 scores, mean enrollment CD-RISC scores, mean follow-up DASS-21 scores and mean follow-up CD-RISC scores between experimental and control groups. Paired t-tests of mean admission and mean follow-up DASS-21 and CD-RISC scores were not significantly different in the experimental group. Paired t-tests of mean admission and follow-up CD-RISC scores were not significantly different in the control group whereas mean followup DASS-21 scores were decreased in the control group relative to enrolment DASS-21 scores (p = 0.014). Patients reported improved mood after use of mindfulness, and most planned to continue using the therapy and would recommend it to others.

Conclusion

Our study did not demonstrate an objective benefit of mindfulness intervention immediately following traumatic injury. Exit interview data suggests that a web-based mindfulness intervention may be beneficial for certain trauma patients however further research is required to identify those most likely to realize substantial gains.

Mindfulness interventions for offsetting health risk following early life stress: Promising directions

Early life stress (ELS), common to childhood maltreatment, socioeconomic disadvantage, and racial discrimination, is thought to create a proinflammatory phenotype that increases risk for poor health in adulthood. Systemic change is needed to address the root causes of ELS, but a substantial number of adults are already at increased health risk by virtue of ELS exposure. Interventions that target stress pathways have the potential to interrupt the trajectory from ELS to inflammatory disease risk in adulthood. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), which train acceptance toward present-moment experience, have shown promise for reducing stress and improving a variety of stress-sensitive health outcomes. Although MBIs have primarily been conducted in more advantaged populations, evidence suggests that they may be uniquely effective for improving mental health and health-related quality of life among those with a history of ELS. Whether these effects extend to physical health remains unknown. To shed light on this question, I review evidence that MBIs influence inflammatory markers in at-risk samples, explore the promise of MBIs for improving stress-related health outcomes in diverse at-risk populations, and describe adaptations to MBIs that may increase their acceptability and efficacy in populations exposed to ELS. This prior work sets the stage for well-controlled RCTs to evaluate whether MBIs influence stress and inflammatory pathways among those exposed to ELS and for pragmatic and implementation trials focused on disseminating MBIs to reach these at-risk populations. Overall, the evidence assembled here shows the potential of MBIs for offsetting physical health risk related to ELS.

Effects of Facets of Mindfulness on College Adjustment Among First-Year Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of Resilience

Introduction

College life is a challenging stage for students to transition from adolescence to early adulthood. College students need to adjust to various problems, including those related to learning, campus life, interpersonal relationships, career selection, emotions, and self. The aim of this study was to test the associations between different facets of mindfulness, resilience, and college adjustment, as well as the mediation effect of resilience between mindfulness and college adjustment among first-year college students.

Methods

This survey study recruited 765 first-year college students in China. The psychological variables were assessed by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Chinese College Student Adjustment Scale.

Results

It has been showed in the current study that mindfulness and resilience were positively correlated with college adjustment. Resilience significantly mediated the associations between four dimensions of mindfulness (ie, describing, acting with awareness, observing and non-reactivity) and college adjustment.

Conclusion

The findings support the potential importance of enhancing mindfulness and resilience to facilitate adjustment among first-year college students. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Pathway Linking Different Types of Childhood Trauma to Somatic Symptoms in a Subclinical Sample of Female College Students: The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance

ABSTRACT

Research has shown that women are more prone to childhood trauma and this state is associated with somatic symptoms. Also, people who have been exposed to traumatic experiences use experiential avoidance to reduce negative emotions. However, the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between childhood trauma and somatic symptoms is not clear, so, the present study investigated whether the relationships among different types of childhood trauma and somatic symptoms could be explained by experiential avoidance in female college students. In a cross-sectional study, 251 Iranian female college students with somatic symptoms were recruited from the University of Tabriz. Participants completed self-report scales, including the Persian version of Child Abuse Self-Reported Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), and the Patient-health questionnaire (PHQ-15). A path analysis was used to empirically explore the relationships. Structural equation modeling analyses confirmed a partial mediation model. Study participants who had a higher level of emotional trauma reported higher levels of somatic symptoms. Emotional and neglect trauma showed significant positive relations with experiential avoidance. Bootstrapping results showed that experiential avoidance partially mediated the relationship between emotional trauma and somatic symptoms. Moreover, the association between neglect and somatic symptoms was fully mediated by experiential avoidance. These findings suggest that experiential avoidance might be one mechanism explaining how adverse emotional and neglect experiences influence somatic symptoms. Interventions addressing experiential avoidance through methods such as emotion-focused therapy and mindfulness are discussed as potential future directions for treating somatic symptoms in females who experienced emotional and neglect trauma.

[Symptoms of Adjustment Disorder after an accidental injury: risk and protective factors]

Symptoms of Adjustment Disorder after an accidental injury: risk and protective factors Objectives: The identification of protective and risk factors for symptoms of adjustment disorder (AD) after an accident injury. Methods: In this prospective long-term study, data from 73 patients with ankle and lower leg fractures were analyzed. Symptoms of AD were assessed at enrollment (T0), 1 month (T1) and 12 months (T2) after injury. In addition, questionnaires regarding adverse childhood experiences, coping strategies and the number of stressors during the last year were obtained. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) was conducted at T1 and T2. Results: 4.1 % of patients met the criteria for AD at T1 and 2.7 % at T2. Acceptance coping predicted a lower level of AD symptoms 1 year after the injury (β = -.42, p <.001). Conclusions: It could be confirmed that the selection of coping strategies predicts the level of AD symptoms 12 months after the injury. The results show that acceptance is a protective factor for AD and contribute to a better understanding of a little-researched diagnosis.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing of University Students: Acceptability, Effectiveness, and Mechanisms of a Mindfulness-Based Course

Mental health problems are relatively common during university and adversely affect academic outcomes. Evidence suggests that mindfulness can support the mental health and wellbeing of university students. We explored the acceptability and effectiveness of an 8-week instructor-led mindfulness-based course ("Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World"; Williams and Penman, 2011) on improving wellbeing and mental health (self-reported distress), orientation and motivation towards academic goals, and the mechanisms driving these changes. Eighty-six undergraduate and post-graduate students (>18 years) participated. Students engaged well with the course, with 36 (48.0%) completing the whole programme, 52 (69.3%) attending 7 out of 8 sessions, and 71 (94.7%) completing at least half. Significant improvements in wellbeing and mental health were found post-intervention and at 6-week follow-up. Improvements in wellbeing were mediated by mindfulness, self-compassion, and resilience. Improvements in mental health were mediated by improvements in mindfulness and resilience but not self-compassion. Significant improvements in students' orientation to their academic goal, measured by "commitment" to, "likelihood" of achieving, and feeling more equipped with the "skills and resources" needed, were found at post-intervention and at 6-week follow-up. Whilst exploratory, the results suggest that this mindfulness intervention is acceptable and effective for university students and can support academic study.

Can Better Emotion Regulation Protect Against Interpersonal Violence in Homeless Youth Social Networks?

Homeless youth experience all types of violence at higher rates than their housed counterparts. This is typically the result of many contributing factors including childhood experiences of trauma, subsistence survival strategies, and exposure to perpetrators while living on the streets. Reducing violence in the lives of homeless youth is imperative and can contribute to a young person's ability to safely and successfully exit the streets and lead a long and productive life in society. However, developing public health and social interventions to reduce violence in adolescent and young adult populations is difficult due to the complex interplay of extrinsic and intrinsic drivers of this phenomenon. Los Angeles area homeless youth (N = 366) were asked questions regarding recent violence experiences, emotion regulation, and their social network. Multivariable logistic regressions tested the overall effect of emotion regulation on violence, controlling for age, gender, race, sexual identity, experience of childhood abuse, and data collection site. In this sample, 56% of youth endorsed fighting in the previous year, and those who reported more difficulties with emotion regulation were significantly more likely to fight. In addition, youth who scored below the mean on difficulties with regulation and belonged to networks characterized by low-difficulty peers were 60% less likely to report fighting. Emotion regulation skills represent a malleable target for intervention that may contribute to reduced propensity for violence in this population. Implications for network-based interventions to improve individual emotion regulation and reduce overall violence among homeless youth and other at-risk populations are discussed.

Trait mindfulness is negatively associated with distress related to COVID-19

Research suggests that mindfulness is associated with psychological health including a healthier response to stressors.

Objective

This research tested associations between trait mindfulness and mental health factors related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Methods

Two studies (Study 1 N = 248 college students; Study 2 N = 300 U.S adults) assessed trait mindfulness, perceived stress and anxiety, worry about the coronavirus, and anticipated negative affect of a coronavirus diagnosis. Additionally, Study 2 assessed depressive symptoms and coping with the coronavirus.

Results

In both studies, findings indicated that individuals higher in trait mindfulness reported less stress and anxiety. Higher mindfulness in both studies was also associated with less worry about the virus and anticipating less negative affect if one gets the virus. In Study 2, trait mindfulness was negatively related to depression, and numerous associations between mindfulness and coping emerged, showing higher trait mindfulness was associated with healthier strategies in coping with coronavirus.

Conclusions

These data are consistent with research that has revealed that those who think and act more mindfully are less stressed and anxious. By revealing these associations with mindfulness in the context of a real-world, novel stressor, this research makes an important contribution to the literature.

The mindful shield: The effects of mindfulness training on resilience and leadership in military leaders

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to address military leader perceptions of their resilience, transformational leadership behaviors, and leadership effectiveness before and after experiencing Mindfulness-Based Attention Training (MBAT).

METHODS

Participants were formal and informal leaders in the Kansas Air National Guard. The study used a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design. Phase I involved analyzing pretest and posttest results obtained from a Jha Lab study for three self-report assessments in an intervention group (n = 36) vs a control group (n = 37). The qualitative data in phase II was obtained from individual interviews of participants (n = 12) following the Jha Lab study.

RESULTS

The phase I quantitative results confirmed the null hypotheses-no significant differences found-for all research questions. Phase II resulted in eight thematic codes, six of which were central to the experiences described by participants (Halting, Sensing, Being, Shielding, Considering, and Engaging) and two that were not (Obstructing, and Escaping).

CONCLUSIONS

The key finding was that the descriptions of mindful thoughts and behaviors were consistent across participants indicating that MBAT accurately presents mindfulness during the course and the training had positive effects on participant mindfulness, primarily in the areas of being present to self, shielding the self through reperceiving, and then consciously altering behavior based on the new perspective. Results should direct future resiliency course development, leadership course curricula, and aid understanding of how leaders mentally conceptualize stress, incorporate resilient behaviors and then apply that knowledge to their own leadership behaviors.