The Relation Between the Five Facets of Mindfulness and Worry in a Non-clinical Sample

Abstract

Recent studies have provided initial support for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Although this line of research is promising, surprisingly few studies have examined the underlying theoretical assumptions of these interventions, including the degree to which mindfulness is associated with symptoms of GAD. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between the five facets of mindfulness, established by previous research, and symptoms of GAD. A non-clinical sample of 400 adults completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. A simultaneous multiple regression analysis was conducted, and three of the five facets of mindfulness, nonreactivity to inner experience, nonjudgement of inner experience, and acting with awareness, were found to be significant and unique predictors of worry symptoms, with the model predicting 34% of the variance in worry symptoms. In contrast, two facets, observe and describe, were not found to be associated with worry symptoms. Overall, these findings provide support for the association between mindfulness and worry. The results have the potential to inform treatment outcome research focused on improving mindfulness-based interventions for GAD or assessing potential mechanisms of change during these interventions.