Abstract
Research into the effectiveness and mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) requires reliable and valid measures of mindfulness. The 39-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-39) is a measure of mindfulness commonly used to assess change before and after MBIs. However, the stability and invariance of the FFMQ factor structure have not yet been tested before and after an MBI; pre to post comparisons may not be valid if the structure changes over this period. Our primary aim was to examine the factor structure of the FFMQ-39 before and after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in adults with recurrent depression in remission using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Additionally, we examined whether the factor structure of the 15-item version (FFMQ-15) was consistent with that of the FFMQ-39, and whether it was stable over MBCT. Our secondary aim was to assess the general psychometric properties of both versions. CFAs showed that pre-MBCT, a 4-factor hierarchical model (excluding the “observing” facet) best fit the FFMQ-39 and FFMQ-15 data, whereas post-MBCT, a 5-factor hierarchical model best fit the data for both versions. Configural invariance across the time points was not supported for both versions. Internal consistency and sensitivity to change were adequate for both versions. Both FFMQ versions did not differ significantly from each other in terms of convergent validity. Researchers should consider excluding the Observing subscale from comparisons of total scale/subscale scores before and after mindfulness interventions. Current findings support the use of the FFMQ-15 as an alternative measure in research where briefer forms are needed.
Highlights
Research into the effectiveness and mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) requires reliable and valid measures of mindfulness
We examined whether the factor structure of the 15-item version (FFMQ-15) was consistent with that of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)-39, and whether it was stable over mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
Because the FFMQ-15 has not yet been validated, we examined whether its factor structure was consistent with that of the original version, and whether the factor structure of the FFMQ-15 was invariant over a period in which people were learning mindfulness through MBCT
Summary
Research into the effectiveness and mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) requires reliable and valid measures of mindfulness. The two most extensively applied and assessed mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; Kabat-Zinn, 1982) and mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy (MBCT; Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002, 2013). Both MBSR and MBCT are eight-session groupbased programs in which participants engage in formal and informal mindfulness meditation practices during sessions and at home. At the very basis of this endeavor is whether MBIs work through their purported mechanisms of action (e.g., by increasing mindfulness) and which aspects of the construct of mindfulness are being affected by the training
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