Low Mindfulness Research Articles

0239 Mindfulness Moderates the Relationship Between Lucid Dreaming, Nightmare Distress, and Sleep Quality

Abstract Introduction Nightmares can cause poorer sleep quality. Various mechanisms have been explored as potential treatments for nightmares, including mindfulness practices and lucid dreaming. Presently, little literature has looked at the interaction effects between mindfulness and lucid dreaming to reduce nightmare distress. Methods A sample of 275 individuals was recruited from both the United States and Thailand via social media and a student pool of research subjects at UNC Charlotte. Data were recorded on participants’ demographic information, lucid dreaming from the Lucidity and Consciousness in Dreams Scale (Voss et al., 2013), Mindfulness using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionaire (Baer et al., 2006), Nighmares via the Nightmare Distress Questionaire (Belicki, 1992), and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; Buysse et al., 1989). Higher scores on each measure were associated with more lucid dreaming, more mindful behaviors, more severe nightmares, and poorer sleep quality. PROCESS model 8 was run to conduct a moderated mediation analysis (Hayes, 2018). Lucid dreaming was used as the predictor; sleep quality as the outcome variable, nightmare distress as the mediator and mindfulness acted as a moderator on both the direct and indirect pathway of lucid dreaming onto the mediator and outcome. Results Mindfulness was a significant predictor at both the mediator and outcome variables. Nightmare distress was a significant predictor of sleep quality. A statistical trend (p=.054) suggests lucid dreaming may have a positive effect on nightmare distress. In the indirect path, lucid dreaming had a positive effect on PSQI scores only for individuals with low mindfulness. Conclusion The moderated mediation suggests that individuals with low mindfulness may see a decrease in sleep quality from lucid dreaming. This could be due to lucid dreaming being associated with more severe nightmares. A zero-effect size could not be ruled out of the confidence intervals for individuals of average or high mindfulness, but the data suggest that lucid dreaming alone may not help treat nightmares, but the combination of lucid dreaming and mindfulness therapies could promote lower distress and better sleep quality. Support Psychological Sciences departmental funding

0200 Trait Mindfulness Moderates the Within-Person Relationship Between Sleep and Pain in Nurses

Abstract Introduction Sleep and pain have a bidirectional relationship in clinical populations; however, we know less about the daily association in non-clinical but potentially vulnerable populations. Nurses are prone to poor sleep and pain symptoms due to work schedules and occupational stress. Implications from mindfulness-based interventions suggest that mindfulness may play a role in improving sleep and subsequently, reducing pain. The current study examined the within-person relationship between sleep and pain in nurses, and whether trait mindfulness moderates the relationship. Methods Participants were 60 nurses employed at a cancer hospital (Mage=35.35±11.83, 32% reported pain). For 14 consecutive days, ecological momentary assessment collected participants’ sleep characteristics, pain symptoms (i.e., chest pain, headaches, upset stomach, and other pain), and pain interference with daily activities. Trait mindfulness was measured using the 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. Multilevel modeling decomposed variances at the between- and within-person levels. Results At the between-person level, after controlling for sociodemographic covariates, more frequent insomnia symptoms (β=0.35) or lower sleep sufficiency (β=-0.19) were associated with more pain symptoms (ps<.05). Inversely, individuals with more pain symptoms reported lower sleep sufficiency (β=-0.41, p<.05). At the within-person level, after nights with poorer sleep quality (β=-0.08, p<.01), lower sleep sufficiency (β=-0.08, p<.01), or shorter sleep duration (β =-0.03, p<.05), participants reported more pain symptoms the following day. There were significant interactions of mindfulness with (a) sleep sufficiency predicting pain interference and (b) sleep duration predicting number of pain symptoms, such that the adverse associations of less sufficient and shorter sleep with more pain were more apparent in those with lower mindfulness than those with higher mindfulness. Conclusion Although there was a bidirectional association between sleep and pain at the between-person level, sleep was more likely to be the predictor of pain at the within-person level in oncology nurses. The significant moderation by mindfulness suggest that promoting mindfulness among nurses, prone to having poor sleep and pain, may reduce the adverse impact of poor sleep on daily pain. Support This work was supported, in part, by the University of South Florida College of Behavioral & Community Sciences Internal Grant Program (PI: Lee, Grant No. 0134930).

Profiles of Mindfulness across Adulthood

Person-centered analytic approaches (e.g., latent profile analysis, cluster analysis) have been offered as a potential solution to measurement issues associated with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Yet, extant literature utilizing person-centered approaches reveals a lack of consistency in the identified mindfulness profiles, especially in non-college samples. The present study tested the generalizability of FFMQ profiles in an adult life span, community sample using latent profile analysis and cluster analysis. Furthermore, the study explored whether mindfulness profiles related to age and well-being. Age-diverse participants (N = 715) recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk completed the FFMQ and numerous measures of well-being. Cluster analysis revealed four mindfulness profiles: (1) high mindfulness, (2) low mindfulness, (3) judgmentally observing, and (4) nonjudgmentally aware. Latent profile analysis indicated four profiles, but only two profiles resembled profiles resulting from the cluster analysis, and two of the profiles comprised less than 9% of the sample combined. Using profiles identified by cluster analysis, older age was associated with increased likelihood of classification into a high mindfulness profile and decreased likelihood of classification into a low mindfulness profile. Furthermore, the high mindfulness profile showed the best well-being and the low mindfulness profile showed the worst. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the type of analytic method and sample characteristics, such as age, may affect the makeup of resulting mindfulness profiles. Implications for the state of this literature are discussed.

The association between dispositional mindfulness and glycemic control in type 1 diabetes during early adulthood: Differences by age and adverse childhood experiences.

The study objective was to determine whether higher levels of dispositional mindfulness were associated with lower HbA1c levels among young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and whether this association differed by age or exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). An online cross-sectional survey, called T1 Flourish, was completed in 2017 by 423 of 743 (56.9%) young adults (19-31 years) with T1D receiving outpatient care at a diabetes specialty clinic in New York City. HbA1c levels were abstracted from medical records. Respondents were categorized by age, high and low dispositional mindfulness (median split on Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised), and exposure to any of 10 ACEs. Respondents had a mean (SD) HbA1c of 64 (18) mmol/mol [8.0 (1.7)%]; 59.3% were female and 69.4% were non-Hispanic white. The covariate-adjusted association between dispositional mindfulness and HbA1c differed by age group and ACEs. Among 27- to 31-year-olds, those with high mindfulness had HbA1c levels that were 8 mmol/mol [0.7%] lower (95% confidence interval, 2-13 mmol/mol [0.2-1.2%]) than those with low mindfulness, and this association tended to be stronger in those with ≥1 ACEs. Weaker, non-significant associations in the same direction occurred in 23- to 26-year-olds. Among 19- to 22-year-olds, those with high mindfulness and no ACEs tended to have higher HbA1c levels. In young adults with T1D, higher mindfulness was significantly associated with lower HbA1c only among 27- to 31-year-olds. In early adulthood, the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on glycemic control may vary by age and childhood trauma history.

Why Perfectionism Is Antithetical to Mindfulness: a Conceptual and Empirical Analysis and Consideration of Treatment Implications

In the current article, we consider the broad question of “Why is perfectionism antithetical to mindfulness?” and we examine the implications for the treatment of perfectionists suffering from stress-related illnesses and disorders. In addition, we review past research on perfectionism and mindfulness. Finally, we also report two empirical studies with university students evaluating the link between perfectionism and dispositional mindfulness. The findings from these studies demonstrate uniquely that socially prescribed perfectionism and facets of perfectionistic self-presentation are both associated with low mindfulness. Additionally, mindfulness was a mediator of the associations between interpersonal facets of perfectionism and depression in study 2. Collectively, the findings suggest that people who experience pressures to be perfect and who are engaged excessively in extreme self-presentation can benefit substantially from increased mindfulness, but it is particularly difficult for certain perfectionists to develop a state of mindfulness that is not consonant with their personality, temperament, and orientation toward life. The implications for the treatment of distressed perfectionists are discussed.

How and when is family dysfunction associated with adolescent mobile phone addiction? Testing a moderated mediation model

Mobile phone addiction has gained much research attention. Previous studies have primarily focused on college students, while there have been numerous calls for efforts to better understand mobile phone addiction in adolescents. Moreover, previous research has mainly focused on individual factors of mobile phone addiction; however, less is known about the effect of family factors and the underlying mechanisms. The present study tested the effect of family dysfunction on adolescent mobile phone addiction and explored how and when family dysfunction was associated with adolescent mobile phone addiction. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey regarding family dysfunction, mobile phone addiction, social anxiety, and mindfulness was administered to 1020 Chinese adolescents. Results showed that social anxiety partially mediated the association between family dysfunction and mobile phone addiction. In addition, both the direct association between family dysfunction and mobile phone addiction and the indirect association through social anxiety were moderated by mindfulness. These two links were weaker for adolescents with high mindfulness than for those with low mindfulness. The present study extends previous research by linking family dysfunction to adolescent mobile phone addiction and uncovering how and when family dysfunction is associated with adolescent mobile phone addiction. These results have important implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent mobile phone addiction.

Perceived stigma, illness uncertainty, and depressive symptoms in youth with inflammatory bowel disease: The moderating effect of mindfulness

ABSTRACT Perceived illness stigma is associated with increased depressive symptoms in youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the mechanisms by which stigma influences emotional adjustment remain unclear. It is possible that youth with IBD who are more present-focused and better able to come to terms with aspects of their disease that are less controllable (i.e. are mindful) may develop more adaptive strategies when facing illness uncertainty, resulting in more positive emotional adjustment. The present study examined the indirect association between illness stigma, illness uncertainty, depressive symptoms, and the potential moderating effect of mindfulness on this process. One hundred and seven youth (56 female, 51 male; Mage = 14.73) with IBD completed measures of illness stigma (SS-C), illness uncertainty (CUIS), depressive symptoms (CDI-2), and trait mindfulness (MAAS-A). Analyses revealed a significant SS-C → CUIS → CDI-2 indirect path (β = .686, 95% CI = .1346 to 1.489), which was moderated by MAAS-A (β = −.445, 95% CI = −.972 to −.083). Results indicate that the SS-C → CUIS → CDI-2 indirect path was significant at low, but not medium or high, levels of MAAS-A. Illness uncertainty appears to be a potential route through which stigma impacts emotional adjustment in youth with IBD, particularly for youth characterized by low mindfulness. Clinical interventions that emphasize mindfulness training along with acknowledgement/acceptance of IBD illness factors may help diminish the negative effects of stigma and illness uncertainty on adjustment in this population.

Exploring Differences Among Video Gamers With and Without Depression: Contrasting Emotion Regulation and Mindfulness

Video games are a leisure activity with mass appeal for individuals of all ages. However, for some individuals, playing video games may become problematic and addictive, resulting in negative consequences affecting their physical, social, and psychological well-being. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has estimated prevalence rates of around 3 percent and has been strongly associated with several psychopathologies, including depression. Given that emotion regulation (ER) and mindfulness are fluid constructs that can be enhanced, the potential for intervention and prevention is considerable. Thus, this study sought to, as a first step in determining clinical relevance, explore the differences in ER, mindfulness, and impulsivity among emerging adult gamers who met criteria for IGD, depression, or both IGD and depression (Dep + IGD). A sample of 1,536 gamers (45 percent male, Mage = 20.45 years old) completed an online survey, including an assessment for IGD, depression, difficulties with ER, impulsivity, and mindfulness. Relative to individuals below IGD and depression cutoffs (control), the clinical groups (IGD, depression, and Dep + IGD) reported greater ER difficulties, higher impulsivity, and lower mindfulness. Finally, relative to the IGD + depression group, the other two clinical groups had fewer difficulties with cognitive impulsivity, whereas the depression group reported more difficulties with strategy use. These results suggest that gamers should be considered a heterogeneous group and that comorbid disorders are important considerations when developing targeted treatments for individuals with IGD.

Threat Prediction from Schemas as a Source of Bias in Pain Perception.

Our sensory impressions of pain are generally thought to represent the noxious properties of an agent but can be influenced by the predicted level of threat. Predictions can be sourced from higher-order cognitive processes, such as schemas, but the extent to which schemas can influence pain perception relative to bottom-up sensory inputs and the underlying neural underpinnings of such a phenomenon are unclear. Here, we investigate how threat predictions generated from learning a cognitive schema lead to inaccurate sensory impressions of the pain stimulus. Healthy male and female participants first detected a linear association between cue values and stimulus intensity and rated pain to reflect the linear schema when compared with uncued heat stimuli. The effect of bias on pain ratings was reduced when prediction errors (PEs) increased, but pain perception was only partially updated when measured against stepped increases in PEs. Cognitive, striatal, and sensory regions graded their responses to changes in predicted threat despite the PEs (p < 0.05, corrected). Individuals with more catastrophic thinking about pain and with low mindfulness were significantly more reliant on the schema than on the sensory evidence from the pain stimulus. These behavioral differences mapped to variability in responses of the striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Thus, this study demonstrates a significant role of higher-order schemas in pain perception and indicates that pain perception is biased more toward predictions and less toward nociceptive inputs in individuals who report less mindfulness and more fear of pain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study demonstrates that threat predictions generated from cognitive schemas continue to influence pain perception despite increasing prediction errors arising in pain pathways. Individuals first formed a cognitive schema of linearity in the relationship between the cued threat value and the stimulus intensity. Subsequently, the linearity was reduced gradually, and participants partially updated their evaluations of pain in relation to the stepped increases in prediction errors. Individuals who continued to rate pain based more on the predicted threat than on changes in nociceptive inputs reported high pain catastrophizing and less mindful-awareness scores. These two affects mapped to activity in the ventral and dorsal striatum, respectively. These findings direct us to a significant role of top-down processes in pain perception.

Mindfulness profiles in a sample of self-reported sleep disturbance individuals

There is some evidence that insomnia seems to constitute a heterogeneous sleep disorder in which different psychological and neurophysiological variables may have differential roles. Mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches suggest new constructs for psychopathology and health sciences which can be useful to investigate in insomnia. In this paper, our aim was to explore eventual homogenous subgroups pertaining to mindfulness within a selected sample of self-reported sleep disturbance individuals drawn from general population. Data from 483 individuals were collected via an online survey. From these, 74 were selected according to a cut-off point given by the European Portuguese version of the Insomnia Severity Index [ISI > 15]. Overall, 2 clusters were generated: A “low mindfulness” and a “high mindfulness” clusters within the subsample of sleep-disturbed individuals identified by the ISI cut-off point. According to our data, it seems feasible to differentiate subgroups of self-reported “insomnia” individuals according to their mindfulness profile. Further studies comprising larger samples and clinical groups are needed in order to validate these findings and verify whether other groups may also emerge. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Anxiety, Depression, Impulsivity, and Mindfulness among Higher Education Faculty during COVID-19

Objective: In this paper, we examine the relationships among symptoms of anxiety and depression, impulsivity, and mindfulness among university faculty members during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a unique focus on whether these symptoms and practices of mindfulness differed with age, gender, ethnicity, and location. Methods: Participants (N = 302) from 2 universities completed online questionnaires pertaining to anxiety, depression, mindfulness, demographics, and impulsivity. Results: Lower mindfulness and greater impulsivity were associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression. Gender differences emerged; female participants experienced greater anxiety, less mindfulness, and worsened eating and sleeping habits compared to males. Individuals with direct COVID-19 experience (self-and/or family) did not report significantly different levels of anxiety, depression, mindfulness, or impulsivity. Ethnicity differences also emerged; relative to white participants, non-white participants had significantly worsened exercise habits, and non- Latinx/Hispanic participants endorsed worsened alcohol and marijuana use than Latinx/Hispanic participants. Finally, participants who reported having at least one mental health diagnosis (N = 41) reported significantly higher anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and marijuana use, lower levels of mindfulness, and worsened eating habits. Conclusions: The findings highlight the relationship between college faculty mental health and lifestyle habits, differences based on gender and ethnicity, and elucidate the ongoing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Correlation analysis of happiness, job burnout and mindfulness of nurses in Beijing Emergency Department

Objective To explore the influencing factors of happiness of nurses in Beijing Emergency Department and analyze their correlation with job burnout and mindfulness. Methods From February 2018 to February 2019, 184 nurses in Emergency Departments of five 3A hospitals in Beijing were investigated by convenient sampling method. General data of nurses were collected by using self-made sociodemographic characteristics data. Mindfulness awareness questionnaire was used to evaluate nurses′ mindfulness thoughts. Nurses′ job burnout was evaluated by nurses′ job burnout questionnaire. The occupational well-being scale was used to evaluate nurses′ well-being, and then single-factor and multi-factor Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of nurses′ well-being in Beijing Emergency Department, and the mediating effect of mindfulness on job burnout and well-being. Results The mindfulness scores of 184 nurses were (65.23±5.48), of which 54 (29.35%) had low mindfulness level, 80 (43.48%) had medium mindfulness level, and 50 (27.17%) had high mindfulness level. The emotional exhaustion (EE) score of job burnout was (29.76±4.32), depersonalization (DP) score was (9.66±1.30) and dimindished personal accomplishmen (tPA) score was (30.15±3.28), of which 63 (33.70%) were mild burnout, 70 (38.04%) were moderate burnout and 52 (28.26%) were severe burnout. The score of occupational well-being was (64.68±7.38). Univariate results showed that the factors affecting the happiness of nurses in Emergency Department included age, education level, professional title, working years, overtime work, monthly income and nature of employment. The scores of occupational well-being of Emergency Department nurses with mild, moderate and severe job burnout were (69.97±8.21), (61.72±9.21) and (56.41±7.02) respectively, with statistically significant difference (F=32.176, P<0.01). The occupational well-being scores of Emergency Department nurses with low mindfulness level, medium mindfulness level and high mindfulness level were (59.43±8.11), (63.72±9.51) and (76.41±6.98) respectively, the difference was statistically significant (F=40.291, P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that working years, overtime work and job burnout were independent risk factors affecting the happiness of nurses in Emergency Department, while mindfulness was the protective factor. Occupational well-being of nurses in Emergency Department was proportional to mindfulness (r=0.812, P< 0.01), proportional to dimindished personal accomplishmen score in job burnout (r=0.713, P=0.008), and inversely proportional to EE score (r=-0503, P<0.01) and DP score (r=-0.614, P=0.012) in job burnout. The mediating effect of mindfulness was -0.179 4, accounting for 27.63% of the total effect. Conclusions Job burnout affects job burnout and well-being of nurses in emergency department, and mindfulness was the protective factor of well-being of nurses in emergency department. Key words: Emergency Department; Nurses; Happiness; Job burnout; Mindfulness

Internet Addiction and Depression in Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Research has revealed that Internet addiction is a risk factor for adolescents’ development of depressive symptoms, although the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. The present study examines the mediating role of positive youth development and the moderating role of mindfulness to determine the association between Internet addiction and depression. A sample of 522 Chinese adolescents completed measures related to Internet addiction, positive youth development, mindfulness, depression, and their background information, for which the results reveal that positive youth development mediates the relation between Internet addiction and depression. Moreover, the associations between both Internet addiction and depression as well as positive youth development and depression are moderated by mindfulness. These two effects were stronger for adolescents with low mindfulness than for those with high mindfulness. The present study contributes to a more thorough understanding of how and when Internet addiction increases the risk of depression in adolescents, suggesting that Internet addiction may affect adolescent depression through positive youth development and that mindfulness can alleviate the negative effect of Internet addiction or a low level of psychological resources on depression. The implications for research and practice are finally discussed.

Mindfulness Skills and Psychological Inflexibility: Two Useful Tools for a Clinical Assessment for Adolescents with Internalizing Behaviors

Two processes that have been largely studied in relation to psychological wellbeing during adolescence are mindfulness and psychological flexibility. Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) and Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y) are specifically developed for children and adolescents and their items are built to assess specific processes. This study aims to identify cut-offs detecting adolescents with internalizing disorders, and describing specific behavioral repertoires within participants with high Psychological Inflexibility and poor Mindfulness Skills. Participants (N = 1336), aged between 11 and 18, were recruited. Participants completed the Italian versions of CAMM, AFQ-Y, and Youth Self-Report (YSR). To determine the cut-offs for CAMM and AFQ-Y discriminating participants with internalizing disorders two receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed. Furthermore, to identify homogeneous groups with specific behavioral repertoires two Classification Tree Analyses (CTA) were performed. The cut-offs identified are 24 for the CAMM, and 11 for the AFQ-Y. The CTA showed that low Mindfulness Skills and Psychological Inflexibility share a specific feature: namely, depressive symptoms. However, social withdrawal seems to be associated only with low Mindfulness Skills, while somatic symptoms seems to be associated only with Psychological Inflexibility. The potential uses of the CAMM and AFQ-Y in research and clinical practice are drawn. CAMM and AFQ-Y are short and simple measures that make them accessible in a school-based primary prevention setting.

Comparing the clinical presentation of eating disorder patients with and without trauma history and/or comorbid PTSD

ABSTRACT This study examined whether clinical characteristics among patients presenting to residential eating disorder (ED) treatment differed according to patients’ trauma history and current PTSD diagnostic status. Participants (699 girls and women) completed surveys at treatment onset. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) tests assessed cross-sectional differences between three groups of patients: those reporting no trauma history (No Trauma, n = 185), those with trauma history but without PTSD (Trauma, n = 263), and those with current PTSD (PTSD, n = 251). Relative to the No Trauma group, the combined Trauma and PTSD groups reported greater ED symptoms, anxiety and depressive symptoms, experiential avoidance, anxiety sensitivity, and lower mindfulness. The PTSD group reported greater ED, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, greater anxiety sensitivity, and lower mindfulness, relative to the Trauma group. In sum, ED patients with any history of trauma experienced more symptoms and other psychopathology relative to patients who did not report trauma history. Among patients reporting trauma, those with current PTSD experienced even greater symptom severity. Interventions focused on improving emotional functioning could be especially beneficial for ED patients with trauma histories.

Interaction of mindfulness disposition and instructional self-talk on motor performance: a laboratory exploration

In considering that high mindfulness disposition individuals possess a unique ability to maintain attention and awareness, and attention is one of the key mechanisms of instructional self-talk, the purpose of this study was to examine the interaction of mindfulness disposition and instructional self-talk on motor performance. Forty-nine college students (M age = 18.96 ± 1.08) with high/low mindfulness disposition (high n = 23; low n = 26) selected out of 126 college students performed a discrete motor task (standing long jump) and a continuous motor task (line tracking task) under instructional and unrelated self-talk conditions. Two separate 2 (self-talk type) X 2 (high/low mindfulness) mixed design ANOVA statistical analyses indicated that mindfulness disposition interacted with unrelated self-talk in the line tracking task. Specifically, low mindfulness participants performed poorer than high mindfulness participants in line tracking task under unrelated self-talk. Further, participants performed better in both standing long jump and line tracking under instructional self-talk than unrelated self-talk. Results not only revealed the triangular relationships among mindfulness, self-talk, and motor performance but also indirectly support the role of attention in self-talk effectiveness. Limitations, future research directions, and practical implications were discussed.

Low delta and high alpha power are associated with better conflict control and working memory in high mindfulness, low anxiety individuals.

Working memory capacity (WMC) can predict conflict control ability. Measures of both abilities are impaired by anxiety, which is often inversely linked with mindfulness. It has been shown that a combination of high mindfulness and low anxiety is associated with better conflict control and WMC. The current study explored the electrophysiology related to such behavioral differences. Two experimental groups, one with high mindfulness and low anxiety (HMLA) and one with low mindfulness and high anxiety (LMHA), performed a color Stroop task and a change detection task, both with simultaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) recording. An advanced EEG analytical approach, Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) analysis, was employed. This is regarded as a robust method to analyze non-linear and non-stationary signals. Lower delta activity at posterior temporal and occipital regions was seen in the HMLA group for the Stroop conflict conditions and might be generally associated with higher accuracy in this group and indicative of higher attentiveness. Higher accuracy rates and WMC were seen in the HMLA group and might be specifically associated with the higher alpha activity observed in prefrontal cortex, fronto-central and centro-parietal regions in this group. Future studies should explore how mindfulness and anxiety can independently affect these cognitive functions and their associated neurophysiology.

Profile of trait mindfulness and its association with emotional regulation for early adolescents

The current study identified profiles of trait mindfulness in a sample of 514 early Chinese adolescents (mean age = 10.54 years), and examined their associations with emotion regulation. Latent profile model was built on five facets of mindfulness (observing, non-judging, acting with awareness, describing, and non-reactivity). Results showed negative correlations of the five facets among the four identified profiles: Judging &High Mindfulness (Profile 1, 43.1%), Non-reacting Observing (Profile 2, 6.7%), Non-judging &Low Mindfulness (Profile 3, 20.4%), and Non-judgmental Awareness (Profile 4, 29.7%). Judging &High Mindfulness and Non-reacting Observing profile used significantly more reappraisal than the other profiles. Besides, Non-reacting Observing applied significantly more behavioral suppression than the other profiles. The result indicated diverse patterns of trait mindfulness among the early adolescents, and the associations of trait mindfulness with emotion regulation should be considered comprehensively with all facets, rather than separately.

Financial difficulties in bipolar disorder part 2: psychological correlates and a proposed psychological model

Objectives A number of psychological variables have been shown to be prominent in bipolar disorder. However, no research has looked at the relationship between financial difficulties and psychological factors in bipolar disorder. Aims This study aims to look at the relationship between financial difficulties and psychological factors in bipolar disorder. Method Fifty-four participants with diagnosis of bipolar disorder in an adult secondary care NHS mental health service completed the questionnaire pack which included measures examining financial variables including difficulty paying bills and perceived financial wellbeing. Questionnaires measured self-esteem, impulsivity, mindfulness and dysfunctional attitudes. Results Financial difficulties cross-sectionally were related to a number of psychological variables such as mindfulness and impulsivity. Over time, the strongest effects were for compulsive spending which was increased over time by higher dependency and achievement cognitions, lower mindfulness and lower self-esteem. Poor perceived financial wellness lower self-esteem over time. A psychological model incorporating these and related findings is presented. Conclusion Psychological factors appear to be related to financial difficulties in bipolar disorder. Future research is needed to confirm the model presented here and develop interventions.

Positive personality: Relationships among mindful and grateful personality traits with quality of life and health outcomes

The positive personality traits/human strengths mindfulness and gratitude are attracting increasing attention in the literature. Two separate studies were undertaken to evaluate quality of life and health outcomes in individuals who are more mindful and more grateful versus those who are not mindful and not grateful. In study 1, 315 male soldiers completed standardized scales of mindfulness (MAAS), gratitude (GQ-6), general health, life satisfaction, quality of life, insomnia severity, and perceived stress. Participants were divided into three groups: a high dispositional mindfulness/gratitude group (high mindfulness/gratitude individuals), a low dispositional mindfulness/gratitude group (low mindfulness/gratitude individuals), and a moderate dispositional mindfulness/gratitude group (medium mindfulness/gratitude individuals). Data were analyzed using a series of multivariate analyses of variance. The results showed significant differences in quality of life, life satisfaction, perceived stress, mental health, insomnia, gratitude, and mindfulness among the high mindfulness, medium mindfulness, and low mindfulness groups, as well as among individuals in the high gratitude, medium gratitude, and low gratitude groups (p < 0.001). For study 2, data were collected from 432 college students (207 female) who completed the mindfulness (MAAS), self-regulation, and psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress; DASS-21) scales. The results showed significant differences in level of depression, anxiety, stress, and self-regulation among individuals in the high mindfulness, medium mindfulness, and low mindfulness groups (p < 0.001). Moreover, the results of both studies indicated that the rate and pattern of relationships between mindfulness and/or gratitude with the variables under investigation were different according to the individuals’ personality type (i.e., high/low mindfulness traits and high/low gratitude traits). Together, the results of these studies indicate that individuals with more mindful and grateful traits enjoy a higher quality of life and more physical and psychological well-being.