Mindfulness and emotional outcomes: Identifying subgroups of college students using latent profile analysis

Abstract

In non-meditating samples, distinct facets of mindfulness are found to be negatively correlated, preventing the meaningful creation of a total mindfulness score. The present study used person-centered analyses to distinguish subgroups of college students based on their mindfulness scores, which allows the examination of individuals who are high (or low) on all facets of mindfulness. Using the Lo-Mendell-Rubin Adjusted LRT test, we settled on a 4-class solution that included a high mindfulness group (high on all 5 facets, N = 245), low mindfulness group (moderately low on all 5 facets, N = 563), judgmentally observing group (high on observing, but low on non-judging and acting with awareness, N =63), and non-judgmentally aware group (low on observing, but high on non-judging and acting with awareness, N =70). Consistent across all emotional outcomes including depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms (i.e., worry), affective instability, and distress intolerance, we found that the judgmentally observing group had the most maladaptive emotional outcomes followed by the low mindfulness group. Both the high mindfulness group and the non-judgmentally aware group had the most adaptive emotional outcomes. We discuss the implications of person-centered analyses to exploring mindfulness as it relates to important psychological health outcomes.

Acceptance lowers stress reactivity: Dismantling mindfulness training in a randomized controlled trial

“…Contrary to MAT, which presents evidence that the self-reported tendency to monitor one's experiences may intensify reactivity (e.g., Desrosiers et al, 2014;Pearson et al, 2015), there was no evidence that Monitor Only training exacerbated subjective or biological stress responses compared to control training (which was expected to slightly reduce reactivity). Instead, these findings are more consistent with MAT's alternative prediction that structured monitoring practice, in contrast to the dispositional tendency to monitor in the absence of meditation training, may promote adaptive outcomes.…”

Mechanisms of mindfulness training: Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT)

“…In another student sample, participants high in monitoring ( Observe ) but low in acceptance ( Nonjudgment ) had higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms, affective lability, and distress intolerance than participants low in both monitoring and acceptance skills (Pearson, Lawless, Brown, & Bravo, 2015). This same relationship was observed in a third student sample: monitoring ( Observe ) again predicted higher depressive symptoms among those with low levels of acceptance ( Nonreactivity ) (Barnes & Lynn, 2010).…”

Mechanisms of Mindfulness in the General Population

“…We utilized a variableoriented approach to analysis in the attempt to replicate in the general population results that have previously been reported among meditators with the same methods. Person-centered approaches (e.g., latent profile analysis; see Pearson et al 2015;Sahdra et al 2017) may provide further insight into differences between meditators and the general population, or even within the general population itself. Also, facet-level analyses might reveal differences not similarly observable on the level of the higher-order factors.…”