Linking Homeostatically Protected Mood, Mindfulness, and Depression: A Conceptual Synthesis and Model ofMoodfulness

Abstract

Mindfulness is an ancient practice, derived from Buddhism and recently adapted for the treatment of depression and other psychological conditions. The mechanism of action is thought to involve the extinction of habitual or conditioned responses to internal cognitive and emotional content. In turn, this relies on mechanisms of attentional control and emotion regulation. The resulting state of consciousness is sometimes described as equanimity. This conceptual review paper explores the process of achieving equanimity within a homeostatic framework. The result is a model of moodfulness, which combines mindfulness with Homeostatically Protected Mood to provide a new theoretical view of recovery from symptoms of depression. This model presents a case for mindfulness restoration of mood homeostasis following homeostatic defeat.

Mindfulness Practice Is Associated With Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis Resilience in People With Crohn's Disease but Not Ulcerative Colitis

“…Linking into this explanation, mindfulness has been described as creating a kind of “mental gap” between awareness and its objects ( 58 ) or a “a ‘space' between one's perception and response” ( 59 ). It effectively holds at bay the force of the emotional content, and it has been proposed that this mental gap enables the individual to experience their underlying levels of HPMood ( 60 ). This study provides some initial, albeit preliminary, evidence to support this proposal, and aligns with a growing body of research that suggests mindfulness improves psychological outcomes by a combination of regulatory mechanisms, including cognitive reappraisal, self-regulation and emotion regulation ( 24 , 61 , 62 ).…”

Increasing Stress Resilience in Difficult Times: Integrating Proven Practices from Biofeedback and Psychotherapy

“…Equanimity, defined as mental and emotional stability and calmness, is the ability to experience negative emotions in a calm way, especially under strain or tension. As they develop equanimity, people learn to perceive the world in a more balanced, calm, and confident way (Lyall et al, 2021). From a mindfulness perspective, developing equanimity allows people to engage with pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral experiences with equal interest (Grabovac et al, 2011).…”

The Role of Mindfulness in Promoting Subjective Wellbeing and Mood Homeostasis in Patients with Crohn’s Disease

“…It proposes that SWB operates as an internal psychological system using homeostatic mechanisms, which maintain SWB within an individual set-point range, even in the face of psychological stressors. It is only when these stressors become overwhelming, and homeostasis is defeated, that chronic psychological consequences emerge (Lyall et al, 2021). The theory proposes that there is, for each person, a set-point for a mood-derived positiveactivated affect called Homeostatically Protected Mood (HPMood), and that this underlying mood governs subjective levels of wellbeing (Capic et al, 2017).…”

“…Specifically, this theorised relationship has not been empirically tested using a randomised control trial (RCT) with a population known to be a risk of psychological distress. This study aims to explore this research gap by focussing on an intervention that has been proposed to have similar mechanisms to mood homeostasis: mindfulness (Lyall et al, 2021) .…”

“…This description is analogous to a conscious awareness of HPMood. If stress precipitates failure of SWB homeostasis, the alleviation of stress should assist the restoration of homeostasis; leading to improvements in both mood and disease symptoms (Lyall et al, 2021).…”