Cognitive processes mediate the relation between mindfulness and social anxiety within a clinical sample.

Author: Schmertz SK, Masuda A, Anderson PL.
Affiliation: Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Conference/Journal: J Clin Psychol.
Date published: 2012 Mar
Other: Volume ID: 68 , Issue ID: 3 , Pages: 362-71 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1002/jclp.20861. , Word Count: 119


OBJECTIVES:
The researchers investigated the relation between mindfulness and social anxiety symptoms, and examined whether this relation is mediated by cognitive appraisals commonly associated with social anxiety.
PARTICIPANTS:
Ninety-eight individuals diagnosed with social phobia.
DESIGN:
Using a cross-sectional design, ordinary least squares regression and bootstrapping mediation analyses were used to test the study hypotheses.
RESULTS:
Mindfulness was negatively related to symptoms of social anxiety. This relation was partially mediated by cognitive appraisals about the likelihood and cost of a negative social outcome.
CONCLUSION:
Further research using a longitudinal design and other measures of mindfulness is needed to replicate these findings and further explicate the mechanism by which mindfulness might be associated with negative cognitive appraisals.
© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PMID: 22422563