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Clinical Psychology Review Feb 2017Despite evidence linking trait mindfulness and mindfulness training with a broad range of effects, still little is known about its underlying active mechanisms.... (Review)
Review
Despite evidence linking trait mindfulness and mindfulness training with a broad range of effects, still little is known about its underlying active mechanisms. Mindfulness is commonly defined as (1) the ongoing monitoring of present-moment experience (2) with an orientation of acceptance. Building on conceptual, clinical, and empirical work, we describe a testable theoretical account to help explain mindfulness effects on cognition, affect, stress, and health outcomes. Specifically, Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT) posits that (1), by enhancing awareness of one's experiences, the skill of attention monitoring explains how mindfulness improves cognitive functioning outcomes, yet this same skill can increase affective reactivity. Second (2), by modifying one's relation to monitored experience, acceptance is necessary for reducing affective reactivity, such that attention monitoring and acceptance skills together explain how mindfulness improves negative affectivity, stress, and stress-related health outcomes. We discuss how MAT contributes to mindfulness science, suggest plausible alternatives to the account, and offer specific predictions for future research.
Topics: Attention; Awareness; Humans; Meditation; Mindfulness
PubMed: 27835764
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.10.011 -
Explore (New York, N.Y.) 2022The present paper argues that if the so-called mindfulness movement is to reach its full potential it needs to emancipate from its religious context and ally itself...
The present paper argues that if the so-called mindfulness movement is to reach its full potential it needs to emancipate from its religious context and ally itself fully with psychological science. The argument that mindfulness meditation needs a religious context for ethical reasons is untenable. Although mindfulness skills may well be used for un-ethical purposes, this applies equally to both religious (e.g., Buddhist) and secular contexts, and is best handled by an open-minded philosophical-ethical discussion. One problem with present mindfulness-based treatments and mindfulness research is that they are still partly enmeshed with Buddhist conceptualizations of the world, which are thought to represent "seeing things as they are". If the full potential of mindfulness meditation is to be understood, research methods are needed which focus on the phenomenological practices involved in terms of psychological processes such as the regulation of attention and attitudes.
Topics: Attention; Buddhism; Humans; Meditation; Mindfulness; Religion and Psychology
PubMed: 34215529
DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2021.06.003 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2020Clinical evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety, depression, and stress, and improves emotion regulation due to modulation of activity in neural...
Clinical evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety, depression, and stress, and improves emotion regulation due to modulation of activity in neural substrates linked to the regulation of emotions and social preferences. However, less was known about whether mindfulness meditation might alter pro-social behavior. Here we examined whether mindfulness meditation activates human altruism, a component of social cooperation. Using a simple donation game, which is a real-world version of the Dictator's Game, we randomly assigned 326 subjects to a mindfulness meditation online session or control and measured their willingness to donate a portion of their payment for participation as a charitable donation. Subjects who underwent the meditation treatment donated at a 2.61 times higher rate than the control (p = 0.005), after controlling for socio-demographics. We also found a larger treatment effect of meditation among those who did not go to college (p < 0.001) and those who were under 25 years of age (p < 0.001), with both subject groups contributing virtually nothing in the control condition. Our results imply high context modularity of human altruism and the development of intervention approaches including mindfulness meditation to increase social cooperation, especially among subjects with low baseline willingness to contribute.
Topics: Adult; Altruism; Anxiety; Charities; Emotions; Female; Humans; Male; Meditation; Mindfulness; Social Behavior; Video Games
PubMed: 32300129
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62652-1 -
The American Journal of Clinical... Jul 2018Mindfulness-based interventions and hypnosis are efficacious treatments for addressing a large number of psychological and physical conditions, including chronic pain....
Mindfulness-based interventions and hypnosis are efficacious treatments for addressing a large number of psychological and physical conditions, including chronic pain. However, there continues to be debate surrounding the relative uniqueness of the theorized mechanisms of these treatments-reflected by measures of mindfulness facets and hypnotizability-with some concern that there may be so much overlap as to make the mechanism constructs (and, therefore, the respective interventions) redundant. Given these considerations, the primary aim of the current study was to examine the degree of unique versus shared variance between two common measures of mindfulness facets and hypnotizability: the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of (N = 154) veterans with heterogeneous chronic pain conditions. Bivariate Pearson correlations were used to examine the associations between the target scales. Results showed that the correlations between the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire scales and Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale total score were uniformly weak, although significant negative correlations were found between mindfulness facets of observe and nonreact with hypnotizability (ps < 0.05). Thus, not only are the mindfulness and hypnotizability constructs unique, but when significantly associated, hypnotic suggestibility corresponds with a tendency to be less mindful. These findings have important implications for future research aimed toward matching patients to the treatment most likely to be of benefit, and suggest that matching patients on the basis of these theoretically derived "unique" moderators may hold potential.
Topics: Adult; Chronic Pain; Humans; Hypnosis; Male; Mindfulness; Psychometrics; Veterans
PubMed: 29771215
DOI: 10.1080/00029157.2017.1419458 -
Translational Psychiatry Nov 2023Mindfulness-based interventions are showing increasing promise as a treatment for psychological disorders, with improvements in cognition and emotion regulation after...
Mindfulness-based interventions are showing increasing promise as a treatment for psychological disorders, with improvements in cognition and emotion regulation after intervention. Understanding the changes in functional brain activity and neural plasticity that underlie these benefits from mindfulness interventions is thus of interest in current neuroimaging research. Previous studies have found functional brain changes during resting and task states to be associated with mindfulness both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, particularly in the executive control, default mode and salience networks. However, limited research has combined information from rest and task to study mindfulness-related functional changes in the brain, particularly in the context of intervention studies with active controls. Recent work has found that the reconfiguration efficiency of brain activity patterns between rest and task states is behaviorally relevant in healthy young adults. Thus, we applied this measure to investigate how mindfulness intervention changed functional reconfiguration between rest and a breath-counting task in elderly participants with self-reported sleep difficulties. Improving on previous longitudinal designs, we compared the intervention effects of a mindfulness-based therapy to an active control (sleep hygiene) intervention. We found that mindfulness intervention improved self-reported mindfulness measures and brain functional reconfiguration efficiency in the executive control, default mode and salience networks, though the brain and behavioral changes were not associated with each other. Our findings suggest that neuroplasticity may be induced through regular mindfulness practice, thus bringing the intrinsic functional configuration in participants' brains closer to a state required for mindful awareness.
Topics: Young Adult; Humans; Aged; Mindfulness; Brain; Cognition; Executive Function; Brain Mapping; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 37951943
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02642-9 -
Journal of Community Psychology Sep 2022The benefits of mindfulness are well-documented; however, these benefits may not be evenly distributed across communities. Equitable Mindfulness aims to make these...
The benefits of mindfulness are well-documented; however, these benefits may not be evenly distributed across communities. Equitable Mindfulness aims to make these benefits accessible to a wider and more inclusive audience. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of Equitable Mindfulness and systemic barriers that prevent mindfulness programs from being equitably accessed across communities. Twenty-one participants were recruited for qualitative in-depth interviews during a 2-day mindfulness conference. The constant comparison method was used to iteratively identify and categorize themes that emerged within and across interviews. Five dominant themes emerged from the data as follows: inherent equitability, accessibility, inclusiveness, awareness and knowledge-sharing, and acknowledgement of multiple perspectives. Having an applicable and meaningful term to use when describing mindfulness as an inclusive and equitable practice can facilitate the exploration of a new area of research. There is a need for future initiatives aimed at making mindfulness trainings and programs more equitable and accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, or abilities/disabilities.
Topics: Disabled Persons; Humans; Mindfulness
PubMed: 35150593
DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22821 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2022There is evidence that mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) can help one to recover from mental fatigue (MF). Although the strength model of self-control explains the... (Review)
Review
There is evidence that mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) can help one to recover from mental fatigue (MF). Although the strength model of self-control explains the processes underlying MF and the model of mindfulness and de-automatization explains how mindfulness training promotes adaptive self-regulation leading to the recovery of MF, a systematic overview detailing the effects of MBI on the recovery of MF is still lacking. Thus, this systematic review aims to discuss the influences of MBI on the recovery of MF. We used five databases, namely, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for articles published up to 24 September 2021, using a combination of keywords related to MBI and MF. Eight articles fulfilled all the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. The MBI directly attenuated MF and positively affected the recovery of psychology (attention, aggression and mind-wandering) and sports performance (handgrip, plank exercise and basketball free throw) under MF. However, the interaction did not reach statistical significance for the plank exercise. Therefore, the experience and duration of mindfulness are necessary factors for the success of MBI. mindfulness appears to be most related to a reduction in MF. Future research should focus on improving the methodological rigor of MBI to confirm these results and on identifying facets of mindfulness that are most effective for attenuating MF.
Topics: China; Delivery of Health Care; Hand Strength; Humans; Mental Fatigue; Mindfulness
PubMed: 35805484
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137825 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) presents multifaceted challenges affecting women's reproductive, metabolic, and psychological systems, consequently impacting their... (Review)
Review
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) presents multifaceted challenges affecting women's reproductive, metabolic, and psychological systems, consequently impacting their psychological and emotional well-being. The utilization of meditation and mindfulness interventions (MMIs) is found to be increasing for the management of PCOS. This scoping review systematically explored the current literature to identify the type and application of MMIs for PCOS management. A systematic search of literature was conducted using CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases for identifying studies conducted on the usage of MMIs in women diagnosed with PCOS, irrespective of age. The comprehensive search identified 14 trials (comprising 17 citations) meeting inclusion criteria, involving 723 participants across various age groups. Among these, nine were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), while the remaining comprised non-RCTs. Several types of MMIs, including of , , OM cyclic meditation, unspecified forms of meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, mindful yoga, and mindfulness-based activities, were used. Outcomes were predominantly assessed in psychological domains (n=11), followed by anthropometric (n=9), quality of life (n=7), and metabolic metrics (n=7). The review findings suggest the integration of meditation with conventional treatment modalities. Preliminary data indicate that MMIs have the potential to improve psychosocial well-being and quality of life among PCOS-affected women. However, adequately powered studies with extended follow-up periods are required to investigate the mechanisms and therapeutic efficacy of MMIs, particularly concerning reproductive outcomes and weight management. Furthermore, diligent monitoring and reporting of adverse events and adherence are essential for a comprehensive understanding of MMI utilization in PCOS management.
Topics: Humans; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Mindfulness; Female; Meditation; Quality of Life; Yoga
PubMed: 38818503
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1295705 -
BMC Psychology Apr 2023University students are a high-risk population for developing mental health issues. Mindfulness, the non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, has an effective...
BACKGROUND
University students are a high-risk population for developing mental health issues. Mindfulness, the non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, has an effective role in numerous psychological contexts among students. However, no previous studies have investigated the association between mindfulness, mental health and wellbeing among Lebanese university students. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the mediating effect of mindfulness in the association between mental health and wellbeing in this population.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study enrolled 363 Lebanese university students recruited through convenience sampling (July-September 2021). The Wellbeing Index Scale, Lebanese Anxiety Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory were used to assess subjective well-being, anxiety, depression and mindfulness respectively.
RESULTS
Our findings showed that higher mindfulness (Beta = 0.18; p < 0.001) was significantly correlated with a higher wellbeing, whereas more depression (Beta=-0.36; p < 0.001) was significantly associated with a lower wellbeing. The results of the indirect effect analysis showed that mindfulness mediated the association between anxiety and wellbeing and between depression and wellbeing. Higher anxiety/depression were significantly associated with lower mindfulness and a lower wellbeing (direct effect). Moreover, higher mindfulness was significantly associated with a higher wellbeing.
CONCLUSION
Mindfulness is associated with improved wellbeing and plays an indirect role between mental health issues and wellbeing. Our results suggest that mindfulness presents an adaptive approach and coping method associated with improved students' wellbeing.
Topics: Humans; Mental Health; Universities; Mindfulness; Cross-Sectional Studies; Stress, Psychological; Depression; Students
PubMed: 37055857
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01155-w -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2023Mindfulness is a multi-faceted construct that involves paying attention to thoughts and emotions without automatically reacting and being critical of them. Recent...
Mindfulness is a multi-faceted construct that involves paying attention to thoughts and emotions without automatically reacting and being critical of them. Recent research has suggested that mindfulness might play an important role in reducing problematic alcohol use. Further, Readiness to Change (RTC) is related to motivation to change drinking behaviours. The RTC scale identifies motivation to change drinking behaviours including Precontemplation, Contemplation, and Action stages. The current study investigated, for the first time, the relationship between mindfulness (and its facets) and RTC in relation to drinking behaviours. Undergraduate students from Western Sydney University ( = 279) were screened for drinking levels using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and then completed the Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RCT) and the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), which includes the following facets: Acting with Awareness, Non-Judging of Inner Experience, Non-Reactivity to Inner Experience, Describing, and Observing. Results show that overall, mindfulness and its facets negatively correlated with RTC. Multiple regression analysis further showed that Awareness and Non-Judgement facets negatively predicted RTC. These findings provide insight into how the facets of mindfulness interact with the drinking motives of individuals and their intentions to change drinking behaviours. Based on these findings, we recommend the incorporation of mindfulness techniques in interventions targeting problematic drinking.
Topics: Humans; Mindfulness; Motivation; Intention; Surveys and Questionnaires; Alcohol Drinking
PubMed: 37174208
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20095690