Mindfulness and Affect During Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Recurrent Depression: an Autoregressive Latent Trajectory Analysis

Abstract

Objectives Gaining knowledge of dynamic processes of mechanisms underlying mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for recurrent depression could help to improve treatment efficacy. The current study examined the overall course and week-toweek associations of mindfulness and positive/negative affect during MBCT for recurrent depression. Methods Using data from the MOMENT study, 235 patients with recurrent depression in (partial) remission allocated to MBCT were included. Prior to each MBCT session, self-reports were obtained on mindfulness, positive affect, and negative affect. Results Autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) modeling revealed that, across the MBCT course, larger increases in mindfulness were associated with larger increases in positive affect (r = .80, p < .050). Higher general levels of negative affect were associated with smaller increases in mindfulness over time (r = −.26, p < .001). Week-to-week effects showed no reciprocal cross-lagged effects between mindfulness and positive affect or negative affect, except for positive affect at session 2 which was positively associated with mindfulness at session 3 (r = .11, p < .050). Conclusions The current study supports a positive association in strength of increase between mindfulness and positive affect, while higher general levels of negative affect might be associated with smaller increases of mindfulness during MBCT for recurrent depression. For future research, experience sampling methods (ESMs) are recommended to capture dynamics on a smaller time scale. ALT modeling techniques are advised to be better able to interpret the processes of stability and change during MBCT for recurrent depression.

Temporal Changes in Mindfulness Skills and Positive and Negative Affect and Their Interrelationships During Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer Patients

“…Furthermore, we observed that positive affect in some of the weeks resulted in increased mindfulness in the subsequent week. This finding is in correspondence with previous research in depressed patients (ter Avest et al, 2020), and may suggest that positive affect facilitates mindfulness.…”

Linking University Students’ Mindfulness to Positive Adjustment Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: a 6-month Cross-Lagged Panel Design

“…Previous studies investigating the connection between negative affect and mindfulness in intervention settings also revealed similar findings (Adair et al, 2018 ; ter Avest et al, 2020 ). In ter Avest et al’s ( 2020 ) study, participants’ negative affect was stable, and no cross-lagged effects between negative affect and mindfulness were found throughout the course of the intervention programme. Similarly, in Adair et al’s ( 2018 ) study, the change in mindfulness could not predict the change in negative emotions after their intervention.…”

“…The current investigation extended the previous literature on the mindfulness-to-meaning theory (Garland et al, 2015b ). ter Avest et al ( 2020 ) examined the week-to-week effects of mindfulness and affect. Only one significant cross-lagged effect between positive emotion and subsequent mindfulness was found over eight sessions in 8 weeks.…”

“…However, the tendency to focus on positive emotions and experiences does not mean eschewing negative emotions and experiences (Garland et al, 2015b ). ter Avest et al ( 2020 ) reported that although higher levels of mindfulness were associated with lower levels of negative affect, the levels of negative affect did not increase or decrease throughout the mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions. Research suggests that positive and negative affect should consider a separate construct instead of different ends of a continuum.…”

“…Guided by the broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2001 ), mindfulness-to-meaning theory (Garland & Fredrickson, 2019 ; Garland et al, 2015a ), and empirical studies (Garland et al, 2017 ; ter Avest et al, 2020 ), we hypothesised that positive affect, mindfulness, and positive coping strategies would have positive reciprocal associations over time (hypothesis 1). We further hypothesised that negative affect would have negative reciprocal associations with mindfulness and positive coping strategies over time (hypothesis 2).…”