Psychological mechanisms and neural correlates of trait mindfulness in emotion regulation: Testing a novel approach to the monitor and acceptance theory

IF 5.3 1区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology Pub Date : 2024-10-01 DOI:10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100507

Ivana Buric , Lucija Žderić , Adrian Onicas , Maja Kolanovic , Guusje Collin

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The ongoing mental health crisis warrants investigations to understand why trait mindfulness is associated with beneficial mental health outcomes. This study examined attention monitoring and acceptance as psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between trait mindfulness and emotion regulation and connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) as a potential neural mechanism.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 501 adult participants (age range: 17–79, M = 31, SD = 11.3) representing the general population. To assess emotion regulation and trait mindfulness, participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Resting-state functional MRI was acquired in a subsample of 20 participants to explore the role of dlPFC-PCC functional connectivity.

Results

Higher levels of acceptance, as measured using the Non-judging and Non-reactivity subscales of the FFMQ, were significantly associated with fewer overall emotion regulation difficulties and predicted all emotion regulation subscales. In contrast, higher levels of attention monitoring, measured using the Observe subscale, predicted only three DERS subscales and with mixed effects: higher emotional awareness and clarity, but greater difficulties in goal-directed behaviour. The interaction between monitoring and acceptance was not significant, and no correlation was found between these variables and dlPFC-PCC functional connectivity.

Conclusions

These findings challenge previous theories that argue that attention monitoring is crucial for effective emotion regulation. Instead, we conclude that acceptance is the key psychological mechanism, indicating that the traditional focus on attention monitoring in mindfulness training may be less effective than a primary emphasis on acceptance. This study provides a critical review of past research, highlighting issues with operationalising acceptance, and offers recommendations for future studies and practical implications for developing mindfulness interventions.

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特质正念在情绪调节中的心理机制和神经相关性：测试监控和接受理论的新方法

背景当前的心理健康危机需要我们进行调查，以了解为什么正念特质与有益的心理健康结果有关。本研究探讨了作为特质正念与情绪调节之间关系基础的心理机制的注意力监测和接受，以及作为潜在神经机制的背外侧前额叶皮层（dlPFC）和后扣带回皮层（PCC）之间的连接性。方法本研究对代表普通人群的 501 名成年参与者（年龄范围：17-79 岁，男 = 31，女 = 11.3）进行了横断面研究。为了评估情绪调节和正念特质，参与者填写了情绪调节困难量表（DERS）和五方面正念问卷（FFMQ）。结果用FFMQ的 "非评判 "和 "非反应 "分量表测量的较高的接纳水平与较少的总体情绪调节困难显著相关，并可预测所有情绪调节分量表。相比之下，使用 "观察 "分量表测量的较高水平的注意力监测只预测了三个 DERS 分量表，而且效果参差不齐：情绪意识和清晰度更高，但目标导向行为的困难更大。监控和接受之间的交互作用并不显著，这些变量与 dlPFC-PCC 功能连接之间也未发现相关性。相反，我们得出的结论是，接纳才是关键的心理机制，这表明正念训练中传统的对注意力监控的关注可能不如主要强调接纳来得有效。本研究对过去的研究进行了批判性的回顾，强调了在操作接受方面存在的问题，并对未来的研究提出了建议，对开发正念干预措施具有实际意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

10.70

自引率

5.70%

发文量

审稿时长

33 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology is dedicated to publishing manuscripts with a strong emphasis on both basic and applied research, encompassing experimental, clinical, and theoretical contributions that advance the fields of Clinical and Health Psychology. With a focus on four core domains—clinical psychology and psychotherapy, psychopathology, health psychology, and clinical neurosciences—the IJCHP seeks to provide a comprehensive platform for scholarly discourse and innovation. The journal accepts Original Articles (empirical studies) and Review Articles. Manuscripts submitted to IJCHP should be original and not previously published or under consideration elsewhere. All signing authors must unanimously agree on the submitted version of the manuscript. By submitting their work, authors agree to transfer their copyrights to the Journal for the duration of the editorial process.