Mindfulness最新文献

Objectives

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be beneficial for young adults with adverse childhood experiences (ACE), but the temporal course of the therapeutic effects is still not well understood. This study aimed to investigate MBI-induced weekly changes and long-term effects in trait mindfulness and psychological symptoms.

Method

This study analyzed longitudinal data from a mechanistic clinical trial in which young adults (aged 21–35) with ACE were randomized to an 8-week MBI or an active control condition of Stress Management Education (SME), with 21 and 19 completers, respectively. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Kellner’s Symptom Questionnaire (KSQ) were administered before, after, and weekly during the 8-week interventions, and at 6-, 12-, and 18-months follow-up. Data analyses were conducted with linear mixed effects models, Granger causality, and dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM).

Results

Group by time interaction effects were observed with PSS, MAAS, KSQ-depression, KSQ-hostility, and KSQ-anxiety with small effect sizes. Only in the MBI group, increases of MAAS scores predicted reductions of PSS, KSQ-somatization, and KSQ-hostility scores. MAAS score reached significant increase at the end of MBI, and most MBI-induced symptom reduction lasted 12 months without refresher courses.

Conclusions

MBI demonstrated unique effects of trait mindfulness improvement leading to psychological symptom reductions. At least 8 weeks of MBI program duration and refreshment at 12 months may be necessary for ACE survivors.

Preregistration

This study is not preregistered.

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought substantial mental health challenges as well as significant changes in the delivery of clinical care and interventions, such as switching from traditional face-to-face to online mode. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and the course experience of a video-conferencing mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with that delivered face-to-face.

Method

Schoolteachers (N = 170) were randomly assigned to face-to-face group (n = 94) and video-conferencing group (n = 76) for an 8-week MBI. The schoolteachers’ well-being, including psychological distress, insomnia, perceived stress, mindfulness, positive and negative affect, and life satisfaction, was measured before and after the MBI. Attendance, treatment fidelity, home practice compliance, and program acceptability were collected after the MBI. Qualitative feedback from the two groups was also collected to explore the differences in participants’ subjective experiences.

Results

Both face-to-face and video-conferencing formats of MBI resulted in better general mental health, more positive affect, and higher life satisfaction, as well as significantly lower levels of insomnia, stress, and negative affect. Observed improvement was comparable between face-to-face and video-conferencing MBI. The two groups also showed comparable adherence, intervention fidelity, and program acceptability. Qualitative results showed that while video-conferencing MBI might be weaker in group process, it provided better accessibility for participants.

Conclusions

This study supported the effectiveness and feasibility of video-conferencing MBIs, which are highly accessible for teachers in need of mental health support. Further research exploring enhancements to the group process in video-conferencing MBIs may further improve the effectiveness of online programs.

Preregistration

This study is not pre-registered.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the efficacy of different electronic devices (VR headsets and tablet devices) supported mindfulness exercises. Contrary to previous studies, we compared the technologies not only regarding psychological but also physiological parameters. Additionally, we assessed time perception as an indicator of flow state, which can increase therapeutic adherence.

Method

Fifty volunteers (26 females and 24 males) aged 19–28 years (M = 23, SD = 1.93 years) participated in our cross-over trial. A 20-min mindfulness program (Guided Meditation VR™) was shown on both a VR headset and a tablet device, with a 1-week interval in randomized order. Psychological parameters and time perception were assessed through surveys, and an Empatica E4 wristband collected physiological data (heart rate, body temperature, electrodermal activity).

Results

Both VR- and tablet-based mindfulness programs reduced stress, as reflected by improvements in both anxiety (a 7.06-point reduction in STAI-Y score, p < 0.001) and in-session physiological parameters (a 4.82 bpm reduction in HR, p < 0.001; 1.11 °C increase in body temperature, p < 0.001), without significant differences between the two devices. However, participants perceived the intervention as shorter than its actual time only in the VR condition (VR: 26 shorter, 9 longer out of 47, p = 0.006; tablet: 20 shorter, 14 longer out of 47, p = 0.39).

Conclusions

While affirming the efficacy of electronic device-supported mindfulness in stress reduction, our study suggests no significant disparity between VR and tablet-supported exercises. Our findings also suggest that participants in the VR session perceived the intervention as shorter than its actual duration.

Preregistration

This study is not preregistered.

Construal Level Theory (CLT) is a well-established, comprehensive framework that provides an account of the relationship between construal level and psychological distance, and the effects they have on cognitive processing and a wide range of phenomena. In this article we present a conceptualization of mindfulness based on the theoretical foundations of CLT. In light of mindfulness definitions and current research, it is difficult to determine whether mindfulness entails low psychological distance and concrete, non-conceptual representations of experience, or high psychological distance and abstract representations. We argue that mindfulness uniquely combines both. The two-dimensional model we present posits that mindfulness is characterized by a simultaneous decreased psychological distance from external sensory experiences and increased psychological distance from internal mental experiences. We highlight the uniqueness of this quality of mindfulness, and demonstrate how the formulation presented here not only aligns well with but also integrates research on mindfulness as a state of consciousness as well as a personality disposition. We further argue that this combination underlies the beneficial effects of mindfulness and delineate how it enables individuals to leverage the advantages and mitigate the drawbacks associated with both high and low levels of construal and psychological distance. The proposed two-dimensional model resolves contradictions in the literature, aiming to deepen our understanding of mindfulness, its benefits, and core mechanisms.

Objectives

Firefighters are at heightened risk for chronic occupational stress and exposure to potentially traumatic events. Experiencing potentially traumatic events is a risk factor for various psychiatric symptoms among firefighters, notably posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. This study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of yoga to reduce PTSD symptoms, negative affect, and trait anxiety in firefighters.

Methods

A total of 108 trauma-exposed career firefighters (99% male; M_age = 34.55, SD = 8.37) were enrolled in a single-arm 8-week yoga intervention, termed Mind–Body Tactical Training (MBTT). Feasibility was assessed in five domains. Self-report measures were used to evaluate the MBTT intervention’s effectiveness in reducing symptoms of PTSD, negative affect, and trait anxiety. The Intervention Appropriateness Measure was employed to assess acceptability. Attrition, attendance, and intervention costs were used to determine demand, implementation, and practicality, respectively.

Results

Total PTSD (p < 0.001, d = 0.426), negative affect (p = 0.029, d = 0.242), and trait anxiety (p < 0.001, d = 0.327) decreased from pre- to post-intervention. Improvements in trait anxiety were also observed from pre-intervention to follow-up (p = 0.032). The intervention was generally acceptable to participants, had a 6.48% attrition rate, and had an 80.73 ± 18.96% class attendance. The cost of instructors and equipment totaled US$6636.78, equating to a cost per participant per attended class of US$4.76.

Conclusions

The current study provides initial evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of yoga as a transdiagnostic treatment for firefighters.

Preregistration

This study is not preregistered.

For many centuries, scholars and philosophers from wisdom traditions in different cultures have reported and discussed non-self states of consciousness. These states can be both short-term (state, transitory) and long-term (trait, lasting) conditions. However, in psychology, the importance of a healthy self is usually emphasized, and some theorists have dismissed the idea of “selfless” modes of functioning. This disagreement hinders further empirical progress in the study of self and the way it might be affected by meditation. This paper addresses this issue by providing an interdisciplinary conceptual discussion, grounded in the pattern theory of self (PTS). According to PTS, what we call “self” is a complex pattern of dynamically related constituent processes, which include embodied, experiential (prereflective), affective, psychological/cognitive, reflective, narrative, intersubjective, ecological, and normative processes. We propose that Buddhist and secular meditative practices induce a reorganization of the self-pattern, allowing individuals to experience a “selfless” state, both temporarily and persistently. We then put forward a heuristic model, the pattern theory of selflessness (PTSL), possibly experienced through meditation practices. The proposed PTSL model consists of six transformations that contribute to self-pattern reorganization in a nonlinear and iterative manner: consolidating and integrating the self-pattern; cultivating concentration and present-moment awareness; cultivating mindful awareness; self-deconstruction (non-self) states; self-flexibility; and self-liberation as a trait. This conceptual analysis and integrative view contributes to the growing field of consciousness and contemplative research by advancing the contemporary understanding of non-self experience and its relation to Buddhist and secular meditation. The proposed model serves as a basis for interdisciplinary efforts to guide empirical research in this area.

Objectives

The Mindfulness in Teaching Scale was developed to assess intrapersonal and interpersonal mindfulness in elementary school teachers, both being key attributes for successful teaching. While the scale has been widely validated, it has not yet been validated with Iranian teachers. The present study sought to translate and validate the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale for Iranian Teachers (MTS-IT).

Methods

A total of 890 Iranian teachers, selected through random sampling, participated in this cross-sectional study. The construct validity of the MTS-IT was evaluated using exploratory analysis and confirmatory factor analyses. The reliability was examined, including internal consistency and stability for MTS-IT, convergent and discriminant validity, measurement invariance across gender, teaching years, and education level taught, and measurement stability. Finally, Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) was used to estimate the dimensional structure of the MTS-IT.

Results

Construct validity and network analysis confirmed the 2-factor structure of MTS-IT among Iranian teachers. This model remained invariant across gender, teaching years, and education levels taught. The reliability and convergent and discriminant validity values were good in both dimensions. MTS-IT subscales showed positive correlations with scores on mindfulness inclination, positive emotions, and self-compassion scales while demonstrating negative correlations with job burnout, negative emotions, and feelings of loneliness (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The validated MTS-IT provides a valuable instrument for teacher training programs and interventions aimed at enhancing mindfulness among Iranian teachers. Teacher training programs can use the MTS-IT to identify teachers who may benefit from additional mindfulness support, allowing for the design of targeted interventions to improve intrapersonal and interpersonal mindfulness.

Preregistration

This study is not preregistered.

Objectives

This open trial aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a modified version of Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens for transgender adolescents and assess changes in suicide ideation and other measures of emotional well-being. As an exploratory measure, we investigated potential moderators of suicide ideation outcomes, such as self-compassion.

Method

Two cohorts of transgender and gender-diverse adolescents recruited from the US and Canada (n = 35; age range 13–17, M = 14.9, SD = 1.19) participated in an eight-session online self-compassion program. Quantitative measures of wellbeing (i.e., suicide ideation, depression, resilience) were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up, and qualitative data (through open-ended questions on an electronic form) were collected at post-intervention and 2-month follow-up.

Results

Suicide ideation decreased with large effect sizes from baseline to follow-up, and most other measures of wellbeing improved with small to moderate effect sizes. Feasibility was confirmed, and acceptability differed markedly between cohorts, with the cohort with greater acceptability improving in mental health attributes to a greater degree. Self-compassion and thwarted belongingness, a factor related to suicide ideation, moderated suicide ideation such that those with greater self-compassion or less thwarted belongingness experienced less suicide ideation.

Conclusions

Self-compassion programs can be beneficial to help transgender adolescents manage the stressors and negative emotional outcomes arising from the anti-trans sociopolitical discourse that has been pervasive in the US. We provide recommendations for future implementations, including that someone who is transgender be part of the instructional staff. Future studies would benefit from larger sample sizes and randomized control trials to confirm the present findings.

Preregistration

This study is not preregistered.

In this commentary upon the article “Mindfulness in Global Health: Critical Analysis and Agenda”, we articulate how scaling mindfulness technologies as multilevel public health interventions requires the framework of embodied cognition for a scientific articulation of the nuanced dynamics of mindfulness as a therapeutic technology. Embodied cognition contends that the body and bodily activity in the world are constitutive facets of mind. Mindfulness understood in terms of its embodied, enacted, extended, and embedded dimensions describes a broad set of contemplative practices that utilize the circular structure of embodiment to intervene in the complex feedback structure of the mind–body system, influencing cycles of organismic self-regulation and enactments of self-world perception. We contend that to advance the discussion, initiated by Oman, about mindfulness in public health, attention must be given to reconceiving mind–body linkages, the nature of awareness, and the vital role of non-conceptual direct experience in mindfulness interventions. This provides grounds for reconceiving mindfulness as a skillful mode of embodied social cognition and for recognizing diverse cross-cultural contemplative technologies as useful for adapting mindfulness-based interventions to specific populations needs. We also arrive at a novel model of the decentering skills fostered through mindfulness via non-conceptual attention to the processes underlying cognition. It also models mindfulness-based exposure therapy, understood not behaviorally, but through insights generated via intentionally orienting towards internal representation in order to uncover habituated patterns by which we enact both self and world perception. In this way, we may better articulate the nature of mindfulness and thus its effective application to population-scale problems.