Mindfulness Research Research Articles

Mediating effects of emotion regulation between socio-cognitive mindfulness and empathy in nurses: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAcknowledging the under-examined research of socio-cognitive mindfulness and Gross’s emotion regulation strategies in nursing, this study investigated the relationships between socio-cognitive mindfulness, emotion regulation (i.e., reappraisal and suppression), and empathy among nurses. It also explored the mediating effects of emotion regulation.MethodsA cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in a sample of 245 nurses from two university hospitals in South Korea. Convenience sampling was used to collect data between August 3 and September 29, 2020. Participants completed the questionnaire measuring their socio-cognitive mindfulness, emotion regulation, and empathy. Structural equation modeling and path analysis were conducted for data analysis.ResultsSocio-cognitive mindfulness positively influenced emotion regulation of reappraisal (β = 0.404, p < 0.01) and empathy (β = 0.402, p < 0.01), but negatively influenced emotion regulation of suppression (β = −0.149, p < 0.05). Reappraisal positively influenced empathy (β = 0.341, p < 0.01), whereas suppression negatively influenced empathy (β = −0.127, p < 0.05). Importantly, emotion regulation of reappraisal mediated the association between socio-cognitive mindfulness and empathy (a X b = 0.107, p < 0.01).ConclusionThe findings indicate that socio-cognitive mindfulness is effective in improving empathy among nurses by enhancing reappraisal. This study can provide a foundation for developing socio-cognitive mindfulness or emotion regulation programs to improve empathy among nurses, which would ultimately lead to better nursing performance by increasing patient satisfaction.

Enhancing the Assessment of Gratitude in Mindfulness Research: a Rasch Analysis of the 6-Item Gratitude Questionnaire

ObjectivesThe 6-item gratitude questionnaire (GQ-6) is a widely used measure reported to be reliable and valid under traditional and Rasch investigations. However, recent investigations were inconsistent regarding the item structure of the GQ-6, with three investigations concluding that item 6 be removed. Previous Rasch analyses also did not produce interval conversion tables, a key benefit of this method which provides a means of improving scale accuracy and aligning the scale with the fundamental principles of measurement.MethodsA Partial Credit Rasch Model was used to evaluate psychometric properties of the GQ-6 using a combined sample of 663 respondents from the USA (n = 345) and India (n = 318).ResultsInitial analysis showed significant scale dysfunction, with overall and individual item misfit, local dependency, disordered response thresholds, instances of differential item functioning by age and nationality, along with poor reliability. Through the use of recent advances in the Rasch methodology, locally dependent items were combined into two super-items and the best fit to the Rasch model was obtained with evidence of strict unidimensionality, invariance, and strong reliability. Results indicate the GQ-6 is suitable for individual and group assessment, while also permitting the creation of an ordinal-to-interval conversion algorithm which has been provided here.ConclusionsThis study confirmed the robust psychometric properties of the GQ-6 after minor modifications and provides a means for clinicians and researchers to improve the accuracy of this widely used measure in mindfulness research and other relevant studies without modification of its original response format.

Debate: Innovations in mindfulness for young people need to take more account of their unique needs if they are to live up to their potential.

While the current popularity of mindfulness suggests that it will foster various social-emotional, personal, and academic benefits, current claims for the benefits of mindfulness for children and young people is premature according to Butterfield, Roberts, Feltis, and Kocovski (2020) who argue that 'despite the media hype and the increase in peer-reviewed publications the evidence base for mindfulness programs for children is not robust' (p. 194). A recent report from a large scale mindfulness project conducted by a number of highly experienced mindfulness researchers and involving more than 28,000 young people outlines that: 'For the most part the young people did not engage with the mindfulness training' and 'our results suggested mindfulness training might work for some children and not for others, and under some conditions, but not others' (https://myriadproject.org/what-we-did/). The MYRIAD project carefully tested the effects of a brief mindfulness intervention for early teens and found it to have no impact on preventing mental health problems or promoting well-being. Researchers in this project found that since the young participants were generally not particularly engaged overall in mindfulness a more engaging accessible and effective format and teaching format and mode of delivery may have been needed. Myriad researchers included students' feedback comments: 'didn't find it useful'; found it 'boring'; had 'no choice'; 'couldn't do it; didn't do it'. More concerning is their finding of potentially harmful effects leading the researchers to state that: future research and innovations should carefully consider the unique needs and developmental stage of young people (Montero-Marin etal., 2022, p. 123). I argue in this short 'debate' piece that there is a pressing need for more nuanced, broad ranging and creative qualitative research that can help us understand young people's rich subjective experience of mindfulness, why they might not engage in mindfulness and how to better tailor it for their individual needs and contexts.

The impact of mindfulness meditation on social and moral behavior: Does mindfulness enhance other-oriented motivation or decrease monetary reward salience?

This perspective article provides an overview of the impact of mindfulness meditation (MM) on social and moral behavior. In mindfulness research, prosocial behavior has been operationalized as helping behavior, altruistic redistribution of funds, reparative behavior, or monetary donation. Studies concerning moral behavior are still scarce. Despite inconsistent evidence, several studies found a beneficial effect of mindfulness on prosocial outcomes (i.e., a higher propensity to spend or give away money for the sake of other individuals). However, since the employed tasks were reward-based, participants’ decisions also directly affected their own payoff by reducing it. Crucially, MM also affects self-control circuitry and reduces reward-seeking behaviors and reward salience by making rewards less tempting. We have discussed evidence suggesting how challenging it may be to dissociate the specific weight of enhanced other-oriented motivation from one of the decreased monetary reward salience in explaining meditators’ behavior. Future higher-quality studies are needed to address this open issue.

Can guided introspection help avoid rationalization of meat consumption? Mixed-methods results of a pilot experimental study

The need for reducing meat consumption in affluent countries is increasingly recognized as crucial to minimizing carbon footprint. However, confronting individuals with rational arguments can prompt emotional discomfort, which is often relieved by engaging in rationalization processes stabilizing current consumption patterns. Mindfulness research suggests that making people aware of their emotional reactions through introspection can reduce these rationalization processes. In this mixed-method pilot experimental study, we inquired whether a single guided introspection, inspired by the micro-phenomenological interview technique, can alter individuals' experience of and abilities to deal with cognitive dissonance. Furthermore, we asked if such an intervention can stimulate attitude or intention changes concerning meat consumption. After inducing cognitive dissonance by exposing participants to pictures of the slaughter of a cow, the intervention group (n = 36) participated in the guided introspection, while the control group (n = 39) played solitaire. Self-report questionnaire measures of emotional discomfort, rationalization strategies, and attitudes towards meat consumption were administered before and after the intervention. Also, open-ended responses to participants’ experience of the study were analyzed. Quantitative results show significantly lower negative attitudes toward reducing meat consumption in the intervention group compared to the control group (partial η 2 = 0.107). Qualitative results indicate that these participants are more aware of negative emotions while engaging less in rationalization strategies. We conclude that our study indicates some potential for guided introspection to affect dissonance resolution and provide suggestions for future research.

Validation of the Italian Translation of the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale

ObjectivesAssessing mindfulness skills is an important topic for the mindfulness research community around the world. Having a variety of mindfulness measures validated in different languages would increase the quality of research on the topic. Thus, we propose a contribution to the validation of the Italian version of the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS) and its relatively short form, including only 10 out of the original 20 items. We also study its relationships with other psychological measures, and how it relates to meditation experience.MethodsWe translated the original scale into Italian and then assessed its psychometric properties in two convenience samples of healthy participants from the general population (total n = 429). We analyzed the validity and the dimensionality of the scale (study 1 and 2), its construct validity and relationships with other psychological measures (study 3), and then how it relates to meditation experience (study 4).ResultsAn exploratory factor analysis (study 1) on sample 1 confirmed the original PHLMS structure, indicating two orthogonal dimensions named awareness and acceptance. A successive confirmatory factor analysis (study 2) on sample 2 also revealed a good fit of the model for the two-factor structure with correlated error. The short form also revealed a good model fit. In the successive studies conducted on a pooled sample including both sample 1 and 2, we confirmed the predominant role of acceptance in determining psychological well-being (study 3) and that meditation experience was related to increased mindfulness skills (study 4).ConclusionsThe results support both the long and short forms of the Italian PHMLS (PHLMS-I) as valid and reliable instruments for measuring mindfulness skills in non-meditative and meditative samples.

Mindfulness in Surgical Care, Training, and Practice.

There exists a robust amount of evidence supporting the broad application of mindfulness in a clinical environment. The evolution of mindfulness research is germane to modern surgical practice and education given its impact on patient outcomes, cognitive function, surgical skill, and mental health and wellbeing. "Mindfulness in surgical care, training, and practice" includes a series of articles that highlight the theoretical rationale behind mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for optimization of patient care and define its role in surgical education and practice. Furthermore, each article offers implementation strategies and best practices such that mindfulness-based interventions and curricula can be adapted to meet the unique needs of patients and providers existing within a diverse surgical environment. This series brings attention to the evolving archetype of surgical culture - one in which the wellbeing of individuals and communities is emphasized as fundamental to optimum patient care and outcomes.

Mindfulness Research in Management: Where Have We Reached and The Road Ahead

Mindfulness Research in Management: Where Have We Reached and The Road Ahead

Research in Mindfulness Interventions for Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Critical Review

Fibromyalgia is one of the most common causes of widespread chronic pain. It has a huge impact on the quality of life, namely because it appears earlier in life than most of the chronic pain conditions. Furthermore, emotional-cognitive distress factors, such as depression and anxiety, are a common feature in patients with fibromyalgia. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying fibromyalgia remain mostly unknown. Among non-pharmacological treatments, cognitive-behavioral therapy has been used during the last decade, namely with the enrolment of patients in programs of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and in mindfulness-based interventions (MBI). We critically analyzed the literature to search for scientific evidence for the use of MBI in fibromyalgia. The studies were evaluated as to several outcomes of fibromyalgia improvement along with aspects of the study design which are currently considered relevant for research in mindfulness. We conclude that despite the sparsity of well-structured longitudinal studies, there are some promising results showing that the MBI are effective in reducing the negative aspects of the disease. Future design of studies using MBI in fibromyalgia management should be critically discussed. The importance of active controls, evaluation of sustained effects along with investigation of the subserving neurobiological mechanisms and detailed reports of possible adverse effects should be considered.

Self-Care Skills to Prevent Burnout: A Pilot Study Embedding Mindfulness in an Undergraduate Nursing Course.

Background Burnout negatively affects nurses and increases nursing turnover. Many student nurses experience burnout throughout their academic program, negatively affecting student success and patient care. Objectives To explore effects of mindfulness education / self-care skills training in undergraduate nursing students on stress and self-care. Design A four-week pilot with four-week follow-up. Setting In-person mindfulness sessions were offered to first-year nursing students. Participants 67 students enrolled in a nursing skills course. Methods Four in-person mindfulness educational sessions were provided with a 4-week follow-up. Outcomes were stress and self-care, measured by the Perceived Stress Scale and Mindful Self-Care Scale at pre-, post-, and follow-up. Results 58 (86.6%) completed pilot; mean age = 22.8 (5.75), majority females (84%) and Caucasian (79%). Students practicing one or more mindfulness techniques at least 8 times outside class increased self-care 9.5% pre- to post-intervention (p = .01), although not sustained at follow-up. Stress did not change significantly in either direction (p = .94), potentially mediating the stress of starting clinical immediately following the intervention. Conclusions Mindfulness education increased self-care in first-year nursing students who practiced mindfulness outside class. Recommendations include further research and integration of mindfulness into courses to assess benefits and coping skills for future nurses.

The Longitudinal Association Between Childhood Abuse and Positive and Negative Family Interactions in Midlife and Older Adults: The Role of Mindfulness Meditation and Gender.

Childhood abuse has been linked to problematic familial relationships in adulthood; however, it remains unclear what factors buffer the association. Mindfulness research has demonstrated promise in improving relationships among adults abused during childhood, but research has focused on couples, with fewer studies examining familial relationships. Using a data sample of 2430 adults from the Midlife Development in the United States, the current study examined mindfulness as a moderator of childhood abuse and familial support and strain in adults. Analysis of hierarchical regression revealed that mindfulness was a moderator of childhood abuse and family strain over a 10-year period in women, but not men. However, mindfulness did not moderate childhood abuse and support. This examination of mindfulness in the context of familial relationships may help women more successfully manage negative familial interactions. Results indicate mindfulness-based interventions may be helpful in improving familial relationships among adults abused by family members in childhood.

Mindful Attention as a Skillful Means Toward Intergroup Prosociality

Mindful attention deployment has been found to have practical benefits for a range of interpersonal outcomes including prosocial action and emotion. Recently, theory has posited that contemplative training that incorporates mindful attention may enhance intergroup compassion. Here, we conduct a selective narrative review, drawing on the Buddhist concept skillful means to ask if mindful attention deployment presents an optimal starting point for intergroup compassion and action. An interdisciplinary theoretical framework is presented, which suggests that mindful attention dismantles common intrapsychic challenges to intergroup prosociality. Empirical research is described concerning cause and effect relationships between mindfulness and several outgrowths of intergroup prosociality. Specifically, mindfulness promotes basic social cognitive processes that allow intergroup prosociality to flourish. While this research is promising, to date, the science on this topic has been limited to individual-level outgrowths of mindfulness practice. Discussion focuses on the future of mindfulness research in intergroup prosociality and calls for an integrative approach situating mindful attention deployment within social (and other) psychological interventions to enhance intergroup compassion.

Mindfulness buffers the deleterious effects of workaholism for work-family conflict

RationaleWorkaholism logically corresponds to the experience of work-family conflict (WFC) which is associated with a wide variety of negative employee outcomes. Finding ways to mitigate the occurrence of workaholism and/or lessen its deleterious effects on the work-family interface is practically important. Mindfulness research may hold some promise in this regard. ObjectiveWe explore the potential that mindfulness - through its association with accuracy and salience of present moment experience and disengagement from automatic thoughts and debilitating behavior - may buffer the effects of workaholic tendencies on the experience of WFC. MethodsWe use a two-study design (total n = 1022) to examine the role of dispositional mindfulness and mindfulness practice on the workaholism-WFC relationship. ResultsResults suggest that (1) trait mindfulness buffers the workaholism-WFC relationship (Study 1; n = 307), and that (2) mindfulness practice and mindfulness training similarly buffer this relationship (Study 2; n = 715). ConclusionMindfulness effectively serves as a buffer in the relationship between workaholism and WFC.

The search for scientific meaning in mindfulness research: Insights from a scoping review.

There are on-going debates about what is and is not ‘mindfulness’. These debates are stifling rigorous academic research as scientific precision is a precursor to shared meaning. While mindfulness is a growing field of research, these divergent and conflated meanings are limiting deeper interdisciplinary research. Interventions designed in one practice context may not be useful in other contexts because meaning is not transferred between settings. This review clarifies the various research domains that study mindfulness and the conceptual and operational definitions in each domain. This two-stage study comprises a scoping review of mindfulness classifications and a comparative content mapping of mindfulness studies from 2015 to 2021. The initial comprehensive search strategy followed the preferred reporting items for scoping reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) method. The comparative analysis was conducted using Leximancer. Findings illustrate a complex growing research corpus on mindfulness that is somewhat confused. The results from the scoping review show three shared domains in mindfulness classifications: short-term effects of mindfulness, long-term effects of mindfulness, and mindfulness practices. The results from the content mapping show four domains of mindfulness research: mental health, behavioural change, cognitive neuroscience, and ethical mindfulness. Operational definitions of mindfulness are not articulated clearly in these domains. Conceptual and operational definitions in the ‘ethical mindfulness’ domain are not yet developed. To enhance scientific progress in mindfulness research, further investigations of mindfulness classifications need to be developed. Content mapping and semantic typology is a potential candidate for future classification. More attention should be paid to developing operational definitions according to specific research domains. Scholars in the ethical mindfulness domain will need solid conceptual and operational definitions to support their research efforts.

Rise of Medicalised Mindfulness During the 1970s and 1980s

In the 1970s, scientists combined spiritual meditation methods with scientific knowledge to access the curative potential of belief-based practices. Mindfulness was one of several meditation methods scientists claimed could deliver health benefits. In 1979, Jon Kabat-Zinn redefined traditional mindfulness meditation for clinical use, later rebranding the training as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Mindfulness eventually became the dominant object of meditation research, spawning a family of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). Today MBIs are embedded within UK health and social policy. However, despite the widespread acceptance of mindfulness, scientists have identified limitations in the evidence supporting its proliferation. Notwithstanding these concerns, little is known about how meditation converged with science during the 1970s and 1980s. Transdisciplinary investigation of the history of meditation has shed new light on mindfulness’s migration to medico-scientific domains. From this perspective, MBSR appears as part of a wider movement to relocate spiritual meditation within science. By analysing peer-reviewed scientific and humanities studies, this paper will outline how mindfulness became scientifically validated through a process I describe as medicalisation. I will also briefly discuss a possible relationship between medicalisation and current concerns in mindfulness research. Keywords: mindfulness, meditation, transdisciplinary, belief, medicalisation

Mindfulness in Strategic Decision-Making Process and its Impact on Organizational Performance: A case of Small and Medium Saudi Based Businesses

The prompt response to market changes, demands managers and employees to be flexible and perform multiple tasks, simultaneously. Mindfulness encouraged companies to be goal-oriented by improving attention to the present moment. Unexpected events faced by firms should be approached wisely to achieve organizational objectives. Hence, a strategic decision process should be coupled with mindfulness to make effective decisions that result in increased performance. There is limited empirical mindfulness research in the management discipline, particularly on whether mindfulness foster or impedes task performance in the workplace. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to develop a view as to “how do small and medium firms react in uncertain conditions by employing mindfulness in predicting and comprising problems in their strategic decision process to achieve objectives and enhance performance in the context of Saudi Arabia”. The findings enriched the comprehension of the effect of mindfulness in the strategic decision process on organizational performance.

Mindfulness: Unpacking its three shades and illuminating integrative ways to understand the construct

AbstractOver time mindfulness research and practice has taken on diverse basic assumptions and theoretical traditions, and the pseudo‐scientific use of the term has become more prevalent. Given the ubiquitousness of both personal and professional applications of mindfulness, the need for a thorough understanding of its theoretical cornerstones is necessary. In this review, we use bibliometric techniques to uncover the field's intellectual roots (Study 1), and document bibliographic coupling analysis to illuminate current research avenues across management disciplines (Study 2). Our bibliometric process covers 48 references for co‐citation and 238 articles for bibliographic coupling analyses, respectively, published between 2012 and 2020. Co‐citation analysis reveals a shift of focus from the past two historical mindfulness schools of thought (Eastern and Western) to a novel intellectual structure of the mindfulness field articulated around three distinct yet overlapping research streams. We propose integrative ways to advance mindfulness research by unpacking mindfulness processes, dimensions and development, arguing that the integration of these three main foci is necessary to advance understanding of mindfulness. Bibliometric coupling analysis identifies eight management‐related mindfulness research themes. We discuss the extent to which these eight themes have comparably explored the three foci (mindfulness processes, dimensions and development) highlighted in our model. Lastly, we use our theory‐driven review to draw on under‐developed areas of research, identifying profitable directions for future research on mindfulness in the workplace and beyond.

Paying Attention to the Self: a Systematic Review of the Study of the Self in Mindfulness Research

Paying Attention to the Self: a Systematic Review of the Study of the Self in Mindfulness Research

The State of Dispositional Mindfulness Research

ObjectivesWe present a bibliometric review of research on trait mindfulness published from 2003 until 2021 to determine the current state of the field and identify research trajectories.MethodsA search conducted on Aug 25, 2021, using the search terms “trait mindfulness” OR “dispositional mindfulness” in the Web of Science Core Collection identified 1405 documents.ResultsUsing keyword-based network analyses, the various clusters suggested two major approaches in the field, one focusing on cognitive attentional processes, and a second approach that encompasses a wider field of well-being and clinical research topics. We also documented increasing consolidation of research fields over time, with research on wider individual differences such as personality being subsumed into clinically and well-being-oriented research topics. More recently, a distinct theme focused on the validity of measurement of mindfulness emerged. In addition to general patterns in the field, we examined the global distribution of trait mindfulness research. Research output was substantially skewed towards North American-based researchers with less international collaborations. Chinese researchers nevertheless also produced research at significant rates. Comparing the difference in research topics between China and the US-based researchers, we found substantial differences with US research emphasizing meditation and substance abuse issues, whereas researchers from China focused on methodological questions and concerns around phone addiction.ConclusionsOverall, our review indicates that research on trait mindfulness might profit from conceptual and cultural realignment, with greater focus on individual differences research as well as stronger focus on cross-cultural and comparative studies to complement the strong clinical and cognitive focus in the current literature.

(Re)Envisioning Mindfulness for Leadership Retention

An emerging body of research has shown that mindfulness practices for school administrators can result in significant benefits, including a reduction in stress and sense of burnout. Concurrently, nearly 20% of school principals exit their position each year—and cite high levels of stress as a primary motivating factor. In this conceptual paper, we seek to align the benefits of mindfulness practices for educators to the causes of principal turnover, as a means to better support local, low-cost strategies to reduce high levels of leadership attrition. We offer a framework that aligns mindfulness research with principal retention research, and follow with an identification of the organizational, social, and cultural barriers to the adoption of mindfulness practices in public schools. We conclude with specific recommendations for school and district leadership to incorporate mindfulness-based interventions into organizational practices in order to help reduce administrator stress, improve task focus, and ultimately address the underlying sources of leadership turnover.