Investigating trait mindfulness in women with a history of unwanted sexual contact

Abstract

Unwanted sexual contact (USC) is common in women, and may contribute to sexual dysfunction via avoidance coping techniques. Mindfulness-based treatments, which directly challenge avoidance, have been shown to be effective in treating sexual dysfunction, however, it is not yet clear whether there are differences in trait mindfulness between women with and without a history of USC. We used data from four previous studies and compared trait mindfulness on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) in women with and without a history of USC. There were no significant differences between the USC and no-USC groups on total FFMQ score, nor on most individual domain scores; however, significant group differences were found on observe and acting with awareness subscales. We speculate on the possible meaning of the USC group having higher observe scores and lower acting with awareness scores compared to the no-USC group.