The Effects of Mindfulness on Self-Rumination, Self-Reflection, and Depressive Symptoms: A Research Proposal

Mabel Yu

doi:10.29173/bsuj399

Abstract

The investigation of mindfulness has increased significantly over the past decade regarding its efficacy as a clinical tool, particularly in the treatment of depression. Mindfulness is often conceptualized as a mental state characterized by present-moment, non-judgmental attention and awareness. Past researchers have suggested that mindfulness is linked to reduction of self-rumination (i.e. maladaptive self-focused attention to one’s self-worth) through promotion of concrete focus and inhibition of automatic elaboration of intrusive thoughts. Moreover, mindfulness also promotes low-level construal thinking (i.e. concrete thinking) which competes against high-level construal thinking (i.e. abstract thinking). Researchers have proposed that self-rumination involves high-level construal of the self and others, which could increase the likelihood of experiencing negative moods. On the other hand, mindfulness may potentially promote self-reflection (i.e. adaptive self-focused attention to the self) while inhibiting self-rumination. The purpose of this paper is to propose a research idea that will explore the relationship between mindfulness, self-rumination, self-reflection, and depressive symptoms (i.e., low mood, anhedonia or ability to feel pleasure, and changes in sleep). The findings of the proposed research may have significant implications for treatment of depressive symptoms and for promotion of positive outcomes such as mitigation of self-rumination and enhancement of self-reflective processes through potential effects of mindfulness.

Highlights

The impressive surge in the popularity of mindfulness in psychology has generated significant research over the past decades (e.g., Baer et al, 2008; Bishop et al, 2004; Brown & Falkenström, 2010; Kabat-Zinn, 1994; Ryan, 2003)
As popularized by Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT; Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002), which was developed as treatment to prevent relapse in recurrent major depression, a wealth of empirical research has suggested a negative relationship between mindfulness and depressive symptoms such that as mindfulness increases through intervention, depressive symptoms decrease, contributing to prevention of depression relapse (Ramel, Goldin, Carmona, & McQuaid, 2004)
The proposed research aims to investigate whether mindfulness intervention, in particular MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION (MBSR), would increase adaptive self-reflection, reduce the tendency to self-ruminate, and mitigate depressive symptoms

Summary

Introduction

The impressive surge in the popularity of mindfulness in psychology has generated significant research over the past decades (e.g., Baer et al, 2008; Bishop et al, 2004; Brown & Falkenström, 2010; Kabat-Zinn, 1994; Ryan, 2003). Mindfulness is often conceptualized in contemporary psychology as a mental state characterized by present-moment awareness and attention to one’s inner experiences, such as thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). These experiences are observed, attended to, and accepted by the self with a non-judgmental attitude (Bishop et al, 2004). Researchers have found that high-level construal, which is associated with self-rumination, is linked to depression relapse and can intensify depressive symptoms (Michalak, Hölz, & Teismann, 2011; Ramel, Goldin, Carmona, & McQuaid, 2004)

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