International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Social support influences effective neural connections during food cue processing and overeating: A bottom-up pathway","authors":"Mingyue Xiao ,&nbsp;Yijun Luo ,&nbsp;Hong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Social support helps prevent the onset and progression of overeating. However, few studies have explored the neural mechanisms underlying this pathway. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and dynamic causal modeling (DCM) analysis to elucidate the general neural mechanisms and effective neural pathways linking social support to alterations in food cue processing and overeating.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study included 58 healthy, premenopausal female participants (mean age, 20.92 years), divided into social support (SS) and non-social support (NSS) groups. Participants underwent fMRI scans while performing the Food Incentive Delay (FID) task. We investigated group differences in brain activation and effective connections, as well as correlations with food consumption.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>When exposed to food cues, the SS group showed increased activation in the Executive Control Network (ECN), Salience Network, and Reward Network, specifically in response to high-calorie foods in the ECN. DCM analysis demonstrated enhanced excitatory effects in the SS group, including pathways from the right caudate to the right insula, right insula to right DLPFC, and left putamen to left VMPFC, under high-calorie conditions. The effective connectivity between the caudate and insula was negatively correlated with food choices.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Social support modulates a bottom-up neural pathway connecting intrinsic networks related to reward sensitivity, emotional salience, and inhibitory control, which helps suppress excessive cravings and intake of high-calorie foods. This study provides the first neural evidence for a shared neural basis between social reward and food reward.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 1","pages":"Article 100545"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783060/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143082718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of temporal distribution on fear extinction learning","authors":"Yuanbo Ma ,&nbsp;Dzheylyan Kyuchukova ,&nbsp;Fujia Jiao ,&nbsp;Giorgi Batsikadze ,&nbsp;Michael A. Nitsche ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Yavari","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fear extinction is the foundation of exposure therapy for anxiety and phobias. However, the stability of extinction memory diminishes over time, coinciding with fear recovery. To augment long-term extinction retention, the temporal distribution of extinction learning sessions is critical. This study investigated the effects of massed and spaced training (with short and long intervals) on extinction retention compared to a classic protocol. 120 healthy participants were recruited and randomly divided to massed training, spaced training with 20-minutes or 3-hours intervals, and a control group. The control group completed half the number of extinction trials compared to the other groups. The fear conditioning/extinction paradigm consisted of three consecutive days of fear acquisition, extinction, and recall, followed by a second recall one week later. Skin conductance response (SCR) and self-rating questionnaires (ratings of valence, arousal, and fear) were recorded and analyzed using mixed model ANOVAs. The results revealed that during the extinction phase, both massed and spaced protocols showed significantly lower SCRs compared to the control group, with massed training resulting in the largest effects. In the second recall, only the massed extinction group showed no significant difference in SCRs between threat and safety cues. The self-report assessments indicated that the massed extinction group showed furthermore lower arousal than the control group in the first recall. These results suggest that both massed and spaced training promote fear extinction learning, but only massed training improves long-term extinction retention. This study highlights the impact of the temporal distribution and trial number of extinction learning on extinction retention, offering insights for future research on improving fear extinction efficacy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 1","pages":"Article 100536"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11770545/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143061811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acceptance and commitment therapy for nurses’ sleep, rumination, psychological flexibility, and it's neural mechanism: A randomized controlled fNIRS study","authors":"Difan Wang ,&nbsp;Bingyan Lin ,&nbsp;Jiaxue Du ,&nbsp;Wenyu Liu ,&nbsp;Tong Sun ,&nbsp;Qingyi Li ,&nbsp;Lijun Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100543","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100543","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Background: Given nurses often face sleep problems, this study compares two internet-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) interventions to improve sleep quality (SQ), psychological flexibility (PF), reduce rumination, and explore neural mechanisms. <em>Methods:</em> 477 nurses were randomly assigned to ACT linear psychotherapy model (LINEAR), ACT loop psychotherapy model (LOOP) and wait-list group. SQ, rumination, and PF were assessed with questionnaires. Prefrontal cortical activation changes were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. <em>Results:</em> The linear mixed-effects model demonstrated significant improvements in SQ, PF, and reduced rumination compared to pre-intervention for both models through enhanced psychological flexibility. LOOP showed a significantly superior effect compared to LINEAR. DLPFC activation increased following both interventions, with LOOP additionally stimulating the frontopolar area. Changes in the DLPFC mediated the relationship between intervention and outcome improvements. Frontopolar changes mediated SQ improvements but not rumination or PF. No significant changes in functional connectivity were observed during the verbal fluency task. <em>Conclusions:</em> Both interventions improved outcome variables, with LOOP being notably more effective, offering a novel approach. Mediation analyses highlight the role of DLPFC activation in understanding ACT's mechanisms and targeting insomnia treatment, while the mechanisms of LOOP's superior effect warrant further research. <em>Trial Registration:</em> Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200063533). <span><span>https://www.chictr.org.cn/</span><svg><path></path></svg></span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 1","pages":"Article 100543"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783108/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143082710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An electroencephalography connectome predictive model of craving for methamphetamine","authors":"Hang-Bin Zhang ,&nbsp;Quanhao Yu ,&nbsp;Xinyuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi Zhang ,&nbsp;Taicheng Huang ,&nbsp;Jinjun Ding ,&nbsp;Lan Yan ,&nbsp;Xinyu Cao ,&nbsp;Lu Yin ,&nbsp;Yi Liu ,&nbsp;Ti-Fei Yuan ,&nbsp;Wenbo Luo ,&nbsp;Di Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is characterized by prominent psychological craving and its relapsing nature. Previous studies have linked trait impulsivity and abstinence duration to drug use, but the neural substrates of drug cue-induced craving and its relationship with these traits remain unclear in MUD.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We acquired high-density resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) after participants watched a five-minute video demonstrating methamphetamine use. Combining precise source imaging to reconstruct brain activities with connectome predictive modeling (CPM), we built a craving-specific network within beta band activity from two independent MUD cohorts (N=144 for model development and N=47 for validation).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This network reveals a unified neural signature for craving in MUD, spanning multiple brain networks including the medial prefrontal, frontal parietal, and subcortical networks. Our findings underscored the mediating role of this craving connectome profile in modulating the relationship between abstinence duration and craving intensity. Moreover, trait impulsivity mediated the relationship between the EEG-derived craving connectome and cue-induced craving.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study presents a novel predictive model that utilizes sourced connectivity from high-density EEG of resting-state recording to successfully predict methamphetamine craving in abstinent individuals with MUD. These results shed light on the cognitive organization involved in craving, involving cognitive control, attention, and reward reactivity. A comprehensive analysis reveals EEG data's capacity to decipher craving's complex dynamics, facilitating improved understanding and targeted treatments for substance use disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 1","pages":"Article 100551"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143349195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decoding ruminative reflection in healthy individuals: The role of triple network connectivity","authors":"Luqing Wei ,&nbsp;Hui Dong ,&nbsp;Zijing Zhang ,&nbsp;Chris Baeken ,&nbsp;Yige Wang ,&nbsp;Guo-Rong Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ruminative reflection has been linked to enhanced executive control in processing internally represented emotional information, suggesting it may serve as an adaptive strategy for emotion regulation. Investigating the neural substrates of reflection can deepen our understanding of its adaptive properties. This study used network-based statistic (NBS)-Predict methodology to identify resting state functional connectivity (FC)-based predictors of ruminative reflection in a healthy sample. Our results showed that reflection in healthy subjects was predicted by FC within and between the default mode network (DMN), fronto-parietal network (FPN), and salience network (SN). Notably, FC within the FPN and SN, as well as between the FPN and DMN, contributed more significantly to the predictive model. These results underscore the greater influence of FPN and SN connectivity in predicting reflection, providing empirical evidence that increased executive control over internal emotional representations is integral to adaptive reflective processes. Moreover, the triple-network model, particularly the FPN-DMN coupling, emerges as a crucial predictor of ruminative reflection, highlighting the importance of coordinating self-relevant and goal-directed processing in reflective mechanisms. These identified connectivity fingerprints may offer insights into the role of reflective processes in facilitating recovery from depression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"24 4","pages":"Article 100508"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142424900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trait self-compassion enhances activation in the medial prefrontal cortex during fear extinction: An fNIRS study","authors":"Tingyuan Chen ,&nbsp;Ying Mei ,&nbsp;Siyuan Zhou ,&nbsp;Haoran Dou ,&nbsp;Yi Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fear acquisition and fear extinction are the most widely used experimental models to study anxiety related disorders, with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) playing an important role in this process. Previous research suggests that trait self-compassion is associated with lower anxiety, but the neural mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Women generally exhibit lower self-compassion than men, making them more vulnerable to fear and anxiety. In this study, female participants were divided into two groups - high and low trait self-compassion, based on their scores on the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). Both groups completed fear acquisition and fear extinction tasks, during which conditioned responses (CRs) were measured using self-reported unconditioned stimulus (US) expectancy ratings, skin conductance response (SCR), and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The results showed that in the fear acquisition phase, all participants successfully acquired fear, showing greater responses to threat stimuli than safety stimuli. However, participants with high trait self-compassion exhibited lower SCR than those with low trait self-compassion. In the fear extinction phase, compared to individuals with low trait self-compassion, individuals with high trait self-compassion exhibited more effective fear extinction learning, characterized by lower US expectancy ratings, lower SCR, and higher mPFC activation. Moreover, trait self-compassion was significantly correlated with the behavioral extinction ability and the mPFC activation during the late phase of fear extinction, and behavioral extinction ability was significantly correlated with mPFC activation. The findings of this study suggest individuals with high trait self-compassion have better physiological flexibility during fear acquisition and fear extinction, and may through enhancing mPFC activation to facilitate fear extinction. The results provide new insights into the pathological mechanisms of anxiety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"24 4","pages":"Article 100516"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychological telephone triage system for outpatient memory clinics - a way for adaptation to new challenges of increasing dementia prevalence and new treatment options?","authors":"Michaela Defrancesco,&nbsp;Fabienne Post,&nbsp;Alex Hofer,&nbsp;Juliane Jehle","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The increasing prevalence of dementia and new therapeutic developments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have created an urgent need for rapid and cost-effective methods to diagnose those affected in the early stages of the disease. Unlike emergency departments, memory clinics lack triage systems, e.g. the Manchester Triage System.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>This retrospective, observational study evaluated the effects of a psychological telephone triage (PTT) system for people requesting an initial assessment at a specialized outpatient memory clinic over a 15-months period in terms of waiting times, staff resources, and as a screening method for cognitive disorders. The PTT consisted of an interdisciplinary pre-screening of available preliminary patient information prior to telephone contact, a semi-structured interview of approximately 30 min with a clinical psychologist, and telephone psychological counseling if there was no indication for an on-site dementia assessment. Based on the PTT interview, patients were triaged using a 4-level priority system (red = acute, yellow = subacute, green = not acute, blue = no indication/counseling). The results were compared with data from the two years prior to the introduction of PTT.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The data of 612 people (327 before and 285 after the introduction of PTT) who called the secretary's office between January 1, 2021 and April 30, 2024 and requested an initial assessment were analyzed. Of the original sample who called after the introduction of PTT, 66.7% had an indication for an on-site visit and were invited to do so. This was accepted by 51.6%. A further 14% received psychological telephone counseling, resulting in a 34% reduction in on-site visits. Patients triaged as acute cases had the shortest waiting time and presented with the most severe cognitive and functional symptoms at the on-site visit.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Our study shows that PTT is an effective method to identify patients with urgent need for an initial dementia assessment and to provide psychological counseling as an alternative to on-site visits. We expect that this will reduce the number of emergency admissions and thus the burden on caregivers and the healthcare system. This PTT concept can thus help to better manage the increasing need for initial assessments in the context of new therapies for AD and the increasing prevalence of dementia in general.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"24 4","pages":"Article 100530"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11665686/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142883787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Self-efficacy as a mediator of neuroticism and perceived stress: Neural perspectives on healthy aging","authors":"Lulu Liu ,&nbsp;Runyu Huang ,&nbsp;Yu-Jung Shang ,&nbsp;Laiquan Zou ,&nbsp;Anise M.S. Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The underlying mechanisms of the interconnections among neuroticism, self-efficacy, and perceived stress in younger and older adults are rarely studied simultaneously. Two hundred fourteen participants (128 younger adults aged 18–34 years and 86 older adults aged 60–89 years) were assessed using scales for neuroticism, self-efficacy, and perceived stress. A subsample (114 younger and 78 older adults) underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Psychometric results suggested that older adults exhibited significantly lower levels of neuroticism and perceived stress, along with higher self-efficacy than younger adults. Mediation analyses revealed that self-efficacy significantly mediated the link between neuroticism and perceived stress in both age groups, demonstrating its protective role. Additionally, neuroimaging data suggested that the cortical thicknesses of several brain regions predicted perceived stress through the mediating role of neuroticism and self-efficacy, including the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, left superior temporal sulcus, bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, and right precuneus. In particular, the relationship between the right precuneus, neuroticism, and perceived stress suggested a reverse pattern across younger and older adults. These findings emphasize the importance of self-efficacy in mediating the impact of neuroticism on perceived stress and highlight the role of the right precuneus in guiding interventions that delay the transition from healthy to abnormal aging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"24 4","pages":"Article 100521"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142656412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Magnetoencephalographic correlates of pornography consumption: Associations with indicators of compulsive sexual behaviors","authors":"Sabine Prantner ,&nbsp;Alejandro Espino-Payá ,&nbsp;M.Carmen Pastor ,&nbsp;Cristina Giménez-García ,&nbsp;Thomas Kroker ,&nbsp;Rafael Ballester-Arnal ,&nbsp;Markus Junghoefer","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pornography consumption is highly prevalent but can develop into problematic sexual behavior with severe negative emotional consequences. Neurobiological studies indicate that compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB) are associated with altered brain structure and function in processing pornography. This study investigated the neuroaffective mechanisms underlying exposure to erotic and explicit pornographic images and their relationship to CSB-relevant symptoms. Whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) assessed brain activity during passive viewing of opposite- and same-sex erotic and pornographic images in healthy heterosexual and homosexual women and men (<em>N</em> = 50). Correlations of estimated event-related neural activity with indicators of CSB (hypersexuality, sexual sensation seeking, problematic pornography use, and time spent on pornography use), mood and anxiety, as well as with subjective picture ratings of hedonic valence and emotional arousal were analyzed. Responses of brain regions to sexual content revealed hyper- and hypoactivation and were related to problematic pornography consumption, hypersexuality, time spent on pornography use, and perceived subjective arousal. The neural activation towards erotic and pornographic content revealed further significant associations with depression and anxiety scores. The findings suggest an involvement of prefrontal and temporo-parietal cortex regions in the divergent processing of sexual content in relation to indicators of CSBD. Insight into the neurobiological factors underlying CSB can contribute to a more precise clinical conceptualization of this problem and may promote the development of more effective therapeutic interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"24 4","pages":"Article 100524"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142721329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychological mechanisms and neural correlates of trait mindfulness in emotion regulation: Testing a novel approach to the monitor and acceptance theory","authors":"Ivana Buric ,&nbsp;Lucija Žderić ,&nbsp;Adrian Onicas ,&nbsp;Maja Kolanovic ,&nbsp;Guusje Collin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The ongoing mental health crisis warrants investigations to understand why trait mindfulness is associated with beneficial mental health outcomes. This study examined attention monitoring and acceptance as psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between trait mindfulness and emotion regulation and connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) as a potential neural mechanism.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional study was conducted with 501 adult participants (age range: 17–79, <em>M</em> = 31, SD = 11.3) representing the general population. To assess emotion regulation and trait mindfulness, participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Resting-state functional MRI was acquired in a subsample of 20 participants to explore the role of dlPFC-PCC functional connectivity.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Higher levels of acceptance, as measured using the Non-judging and Non-reactivity subscales of the FFMQ, were significantly associated with fewer overall emotion regulation difficulties and predicted all emotion regulation subscales. In contrast, higher levels of attention monitoring, measured using the Observe subscale, predicted only three DERS subscales and with mixed effects: higher emotional awareness and clarity, but greater difficulties in goal-directed behaviour. The interaction between monitoring and acceptance was not significant, and no correlation was found between these variables and dlPFC-PCC functional connectivity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings challenge previous theories that argue that attention monitoring is crucial for effective emotion regulation. Instead, we conclude that acceptance is the key psychological mechanism, indicating that the traditional focus on attention monitoring in mindfulness training may be less effective than a primary emphasis on acceptance. This study provides a critical review of past research, highlighting issues with operationalising acceptance, and offers recommendations for future studies and practical implications for developing mindfulness interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"24 4","pages":"Article 100507"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142531710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}