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Objectives Depression is associated with both emotion dysregulation upon retrieval of autobiographical memories and low trait mindfulness. The present study raised the question of whether these processes are related to each other and whether they may reflect a cognitive-affective vulnerability in individuals at risk of depression. The study examined emotion regulation in response to involuntary and voluntary autobiographical memories during depression remission and explored how trait mindfulness relates to such emotion regulation. Methods The study employed a naturalistic design in which individuals with remitted depression (n = 35) and individuals with no history of depression (n = 32) completed a trait mindfulness measure and a structured memory diary where they rated state use of five emotion regulation strategies upon involuntary and voluntary autobiographical memory retrieval. Results Individuals with remitted depression reported heightened brooding in response to autobiographical memories when memory retrieval occurred involuntarily, and trait mindfulness was low. Depression remission and higher trait mindfulness were independently associated with greater cognitive reappraisal efforts upon involuntary retrieval of autobiographical memories. Higher trait mindfulness predicted less memory suppression, irrespective of depression history and memory retrieval mode. Conclusions The findings suggest a vulnerability in emotional processing of autobiographical memories during depression remission that is dependent on mindfulness skill level and how memories come to mind.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) in a sample of the Portuguese population. To test the validity and reliability of SMS, a survey was administered to 287 participants (236 women; aged between 18 and 71 years old) with and without previous mindfulness practice. Two weeks after the first assessment, 41 participants were evaluated to test the stability of the SMS. Consistent with contemporary psychological models of mindfulness, the confirmatory factor analyses supported a hierarchical structure entailing one second-order state mindfulness factor and two first-order factors: one related to body sensations and the other reflecting mental events. The two first-order dimensions of state mindfulness correlated positively with the dimensions of observe, nonreactivity, and describe of the dispositional mindfulness scale. The SMS global scores were independent of emotional suppression and cognitive reappraisal, and of social desirability. The SMS showed acceptable internal and test-retest reliability. Overall, the Portuguese version of the scale has acceptable psychometric qualities and can be used to measure mindfulness states, regardless of previous mindfulness practice.

Objectives The present study investigates the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention designed to improve educator wellbeing and implemented concurrently in multiple school sites. Methods Using a cluster (school) randomized controlled design, 185 educators working in 20 Australian schools were randomized to an intervention group (10 schools, number = 85, mean age = 42.34 years) or a control group (10 schools, number = 100, mean age = 43.7 years). Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine effects of intervention on wellbeing and teaching-related outcomes and students’ sense of connectedness to teachers measured post intervention after controlling for the baseline. Results The intervention predicted lower levels of perceived stress (β = − 0.196, p < 0.01, 95% CI [− 4.00, − 0.92]) and sleep difficulty (β = − 0.175, p < 0.05, 95% CI [− 7.54, − 0.46]) and higher levels of mindfulness (β = 0.252, p < 0.001, 95% CI [2.60, 6.12]), self-compassion (β = 0.207, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.14, 0.43]) and cognitive reappraisal in emotion regulation (β = 0.152, p < 0.05, 95% CI [0.19, 4.03]) at immediate post-intervention, with medium to large effect sizes, after controlling for effects of corresponding variables at baseline. These effects largely remained significant at 6-week post-intervention. Improved educator wellbeing did not accompany improvements in teaching but students’ sense of connectedness to teachers. Conclusions The findings suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may contribute to the overall educator wellbeing and this may increase students’ sense of connectedness to teachers without themselves undergoing any intervention.

Caregivers play a crucial role in the socialization of youth emotional understanding and regulation, which are implicated in socio-emotional outcomes. Although a rich literature details the sequelae of parent emotion socialization (ES) strategies, there is less understanding of variables that may explain associations between ES strategies and youth psychopathology. The current study aimed to test potential explanatory variables–mindfulness and emotion regulation strategies. SEM was utilized to test direct and indirect effects of young adult recalled parent ES, mindfulness, and emotion suppression and cognitive reappraisal on internalizing symptoms in a sample (N = 256) of 18 to 33 year olds (Mage = 19.85, SDage = 2.31). Higher levels of supportive ES were positively related to young adult mindfulness (β = 0.334, SE = 0.102, p

A key challenge for people who struggle with major depressive disorder (MDD) is the prevention of recurrence, given that the risk of recurrence increases significantly with each episode. Recently, it has been suggested that low levels of self-compassion may be an enduring risk factor for depression recurrence; however, surprisingly little research has examined the pathways through which self-compassion and recurrent depressive symptoms are linked. Thus, our study examined how self-compassion may be protective in the recurrence of depressive symptoms through four emotion regulation strategies associated with depression: brooding rumination, experiential avoidance, cognitive reappraisal, and acceptance. A sample of 100 participants with a history of recurrent depression were recruited using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Simple and multiple mediation analyses were conducted. Results from the simple mediation models indicated that higher levels of self-compassion were associated with lower depressive symptoms through brooding rumination, experiential avoidance, and acceptance, while cognitive reappraisal did not mediate the relation. The multiple mediation model revealed that brooding rumination was the only significant mediator, when controlling for other emotion regulation strategy variables. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Mindfulness training is increasingly being incorporated into traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches. Although the acquisition and use of both CBT and mindfulness skills have been independently linked with positive therapeutic outcomes, the additional therapeutic benefit provided by mindfulness skills above and beyond traditional CBT skills (e.g., behavioral activation, cognitive reappraisal) is unclear. The present study tested the incremental predictive validity of mindfulness skills above CBT skills in predicting depressive and anxiety symptom improvement within a psychiatric hospital unit incorporating training in both CBT and mindfulness skills. Adult patients (N = 134, mean age = 34.0, 47.8% females, 90.3% White) with depression and anxiety receiving combined psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment at a psychiatric hospital completed repeated assessments of CBT skills (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Skills Checklist), mindfulness skills (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), and both depressive (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7) symptoms. We tested whether mindfulness skills and/or CBT skills predicted depressive and anxiety symptom improvement. Higher levels of both mindfulness skills (rs = − .15 to − .51) and CBT skills (rs = − .12 to − .21) were cross-sectionally associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms. However, while controlling for CBT skills, two mindfulness facets (nonreactivity to inner experience and acting with awareness) predicted subsequent depressive (ts

© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. The 24-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire – Short Form (FFMQ-SF) was developed to measure five facets of dispositional mindfulness: observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judgment of inner experience, and non-reactivity to inner experience. The FFMQ-SF is increasingly used with older adult populations, despite not having been appropriately validated for such use. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the FFMQ-SF among community-dwelling older adults (N = 210). The five subscales of the FFMQ-SF were found to be internally consistent. Convergent validity analyses revealed that all facets of mindfulness except observing were negatively correlated with negative affect, and all facets except for non-judgment were positively correlated with positive affect. Similarly, all facets except for non-judgment were positively correlated with cognitive reappraisal emotion regulation tendencies. Only describing, acting with awareness, and non-judgment were negatively correlated with expressive suppression tendencies. The original five-factor structure of the FFMQ-SF was supported by confirmatory factor analyses. The two-factor higher order structure of the FFMQ-SF was also supported. Overall, the results support the psychometric properties of the FFMQ-SF for use with older adult samples.

The current study extended previous research on self-compassion and health behaviours by examining the associations of self-compassion to bedtime procrastination, an important sleep-related behaviour. We hypothesized that lower negative affect and adaptive emotion regulation would explain the proposed links between self-compassion and less bedtime procrastination. Two cross-sectional online studies were conducted. Study 1 included 134 healthy individuals from the community (mean age 30.22, 77.4% female). Study 2 included 646 individuals from the community (mean age 30.74, 68.9% female) who were screened for the absence of clinical insomnia. Participants in both studies completed measures of self-compassion, positive and negative affect and bedtime procrastination. Participants in study 2 also completed a measure of cognitive reappraisal. Multiple mediation analysis in study 1 revealed the expected indirect effects of self-compassion on less bedtime procrastination through lower negative affect [b = − .09, 95% CI = (− .20, − .02), but not higher positive affect. Path analysis in study 2 replicated these findings and further demonstrated that cognitive reappraisal explained the lower negative affect linked to self-compassion [b = − .011; 95% CI = (− .025; − .003)]. The direct effect of self-compassion on less bedtime procrastination remained significant. Our novel findings provide preliminary evidence that self-compassionate people are less likely to engage in bedtime procrastination, due in part to their use of healthy emotion regulation strategies that downregulate negative mood.

Self-compassion is conceptualized as a particularly useful strategy in regulating shame. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated its effect on shame and shame-proneness. Also, it is not clear if this strategy is equally effective as other well-established techniques used for regulating basic emotions. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of a self-compassion intervention, a cognitive reappraisal intervention, and a wait-list condition in reducing shame-proneness and social anxiety in a high socially anxious undergraduate sample. Participants (N = 136; 88.23% women; mean age = 21.85) completed a 2-week self-compassion or cognitive reappraisal online training in which they were asked to describe a negative event that had happened to them in the past 2 days and then reconsider the situation based on instructions received both in video and written format. Self-ratings of social anxiety symptoms, shame-proneness, trait self-compassion, and irrational beliefs were conducted before and after the training. We also explored the impact of the training on the level of state emotions following a laboratory shame-induction procedure. Both self-compassion and cognitive reappraisal significantly reduced shame-proneness and irrational beliefs from pre- to post-training, while social anxiety symptoms significantly decreased in the self-compassion condition. No significant between-group differences for these outcomes were observed. Self-compassion might be an alternative strategy for cognitive reappraisal in the management of shame-proneness and social anxiety.

There is increasing interest in third-wave interventions that incorporate contemplative practices. Mindfulness and compassion meditation training programs have shown great promise. In the spirit of precision health, a refined understanding of participant features that identify who will and will not benefit from specific types of contemplative training is an important endeavor. Here, we examined three domains of baseline moderators (demographic, affect, and well-being variables) of the effect of compassion cultivation training (CCT) on improvements in three forms of fear of compassion (for self, for others, and being the recipient of compassion from others) and also on self-compassion. Results indicate that, at baseline, greater frequency of suppression of emotion expression and perceived stress, as well as lesser cognitive reappraisal self-efficacy and mindfulness skills, significantly moderated the effect of CCT (vs. a wait list control group) on reducing fear of compassion for self. We did not identify significant moderators of CCT effects on fear of compassion for others and being the recipient of compassion from others, or self-compassion. Pinpointing individual participant features that predict CCT-related increases in compassion will help optimize treatment matching and sequencing of treatment programs.

Mindfulness training has been shown to have a beneficial impact on emotions and perceptions. We examined whether it would reduce negative emotions and perceptions and lead to increased support for compromise in the context of prolonged intergroup conflict. We also examined the effect of an intervention that combines mindfulness with cognitive reappraisal, a method that enhances emotion regulation. Israeli students participated in a mindfulness course that either began in the winter semester (mindfulness group) or in the spring semester (control group). After the termination of the mindfulness course, all participants were invited to a laboratory session in which they were randomly assigned to either receive or not a short cognitive reappraisal training. The results showed that after being presented with anger-inducing information related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, participants in the mindfulness condition only, the reappraisal condition only or the combined group (mindfulness and reappraisal), were more supportive of conciliatory policies compared to participants that received no mindfulness nor reappraisal training. The increased support for conciliatory policies was mediated by a decrease in negative emotions in all groups, while in the mindfulness group, it was also mediated by reduction in negative perceptions. The combined impact of mindfulness and reappraisal did not reveal any additional effect.

This study examined potential processes of change and mechanisms of action in an 8-week manualized mindfulness intervention for adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their parents. Five families (five adolescents aged 13–18 and seven parents) participated in semi-structured interviews about their lived experiences of mindfulness 1 to 3 months after the intervention. Thematic analysis guided by a phenomenological approach revealed several potential underlying mechanisms of action contributing to improved peer and family relationship quality after mindfulness training. Themes were consistent among parents and adolescents. Participant descriptions were indicative of enhanced present-focused awareness and detached self-observation, contributing to improved self-monitoring and self-regulation of attention, behavior, and emotions. Participants reported becoming more adept at implementing adaptive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., cognitive reappraisal, problem-solving, and acceptance) and relying less on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., rumination). Parents and adolescents described a parallel process of enhanced self-awareness and self-regulation that conjointly contributed to increased empathy, reduced emotional reactivity, improved communication, and reductions in the intensity and duration of conflicts. Furthermore, as individuals in the parent-child dyad became more adept at regulating their emotions, they mutually reinforced the emotion regulation skills of their social partner. A model of the co-regulatory process of change in parent-adolescent mindfulness training is proposed.

The incidence of major depression increases markedly during adolescence and early adulthood. There is therefore an increased need for effective emotion regulation (ER) capacities during this period. The present study explored the relative benefits of dispositional mindfulness compared to other commonly researched ER strategies, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression, in a sample of youth with major depression presenting to a clinical service. Results demonstrated that mindfulness is distinct from these other ER strategies and is associated with lower cross-sectional levels of depression, anxiety, rumination and dysfunctional attitudes, and improved quality of life. Greater dispositional mindfulness also predicted greater recovery from these symptoms. It was concluded that a greater tendency to use mindfulness as an ER strategy is associated with positive mental health outcomes and better quality of life.

Putatively, mindfulness meditation involves generation of a state of “nonappraisal”, yet, little is known about how mindfulness may influence appraisal processes. We investigated whether the state and practice of mindfulness could enhance cognitive reappraisal. Participants (N = 44; M age = 24.44, SD = 4.00, range 19 – 38, 82.2% female) were randomized to either 1) mindfulness, 2) suppression, or 3) mind-wandering induction training conditions. Cognitive reappraisal was assessed with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) prior to experimental induction, and state mindfulness was assessed immediately following induction using the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS). Participants practiced their assigned strategy for one week and then were reassessed with the ERQ reappraisal subscale. Participants receiving mindfulness training reported significantly higher levels of state mindfulness than participants in the thought suppression and mind wandering conditions. Although brief mindfulness training did not lead to significantly greater increases in reappraisal than the other two conditions, state mindfulness during mindfulness meditation was prospectively associated with increases in reappraisal. Path analysis revealed that the indirect effect between mindfulness training and reappraisal was significant through state mindfulness. Degree of state mindfulness achieved during the act of mindfulness meditation significantly predicted increases in reappraisal over time, suggesting that mindfulness may promote emotion regulation by enhancing cognitive reappraisal.

We prospectively investigated associations between mindfulness and changes in the use of expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal occurring during a residential treatment program for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The sample consisted of 50 male veterans who were assessed with the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills at treatment intake, and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and PTSD Checklist—Military Version at treatment intake and discharge. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that greater nonjudgmental acceptance at intake predicted greater reductions in expressive suppression (p < .05) and less improvement in cognitive reappraisal (p < .05) between treatment intake and discharge. Additionally, greater ability to observe thoughts, emotions, and sensations at intake was associated with less improvement in cognitive reappraisal between treatment intake and discharge (p < .05). Findings remained significant after statistically adjusting for treatment-related changes in PTSD symptoms.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for mood and anxiety disorders. Little is known, however, about the specific psychological skills that may improve with MBCT. The present study investigated the relationship between history of MBCT and emotion regulation ability. Specifically, we examined cognitive reappraisal ability (CRA) in a sample of individuals with a history of MBCT compared with two control groups: a group without a history of any type of therapy and a group with a history of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Groups were matched on key variables including age, sex, education, working memory, emotional reactivity, and life stress. CRA was measured using a standardized laboratory challenge. Results indicated that participants with a history of MBCT demonstrated higher CRA than both the no-therapy control group and the CBT control group. These results suggest that, by guiding people to accept thoughts and feelings without judgment and to focus on the present moment, MBCT may lay the foundation for increased CRA.

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) is the most frequently utilized self-report measure of mindfulness. The present study sought to investigate the psychometric properties of MAAS among non-clinical Turkish participants as well as to explore the relationships between mindfulness and well-being, experiential avoidance, cognitive reappraisal, and impulsivity. One hundred participants from two samples were recruited for the study. After the translation of MAAS into Turkish, a test battery including MAAS Turkish form, a demographic information form, General Health Questionnaire, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, White Bear Suppression Inventory, and MMPI Impulsivity Subscale was administered to participants. After a 3-week interval, the second administration of MAAS was carried out in the same samples. Cronbach’s alpha method was used to determine the internal consistency and Pearson correlation was utilized to assess test–retest reliability of the scale while factor analysis was employed to investigate the internal structure of the scale. The relations between mindfulness and convergent measures were examined using Pearson correlation. The study provided preliminary results indicating that the Turkish version of MAAS possesses good psychometric qualities. The single factor structure of the original scale was confirmed. Significant relationships in the expected directions were found between mindfulness and well-being, experiential avoidance, and impulsivity. The Turkish version of MAAS is an internally consistent and temporally reliable assessment tool for measuring mindfulness in Turkish population.