Attenuated maladaptive emotion processing as a potential mediator of the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and mental health
Author: Rakesh Pandey1, Satchit Prasun Mandal1,2, Meenakshi Shukla3, Vishnukant Tripathi1, Elena Antonova4,5, Veena Kumari4,5
Affiliation:
1 Department of Psychology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
2 Department of Psychology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills, India.
3 Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India.
4 Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
5 Centre for Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
Conference/Journal: Heliyon
Date published: 2023 Nov 2
Other:
Volume ID: 9 , Issue ID: 11 , Pages: e21934 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21934. , Word Count: 233
The emotion processing and regulation mechanisms by which dispositional (personality trait) mindfulness exerts its positive effects on mental health remain unclear. Here, we tested, using structural equation modeling, whether the relationship between higher dispositional mindfulness and better mental health is mediated by reduced maladaptive processing of emotional information (e.g., expressive suppression, impoverished emotional experiences, unprocessed emotions, avoidance, externalizing strategies) and associated lower negative affect, enhanced adaptive processing of emotional information (e.g., cognitive reappraisal) and associated higher positive affect, or a combination of these two emotion processing styles. Dispositional mindfulness, mental health, diverse emotional constructs with adaptive and maladaptive dimensions (including range and differentiation of emotional experiences, use of specific emotion regulation strategies, emotion processing deficits, negative affect repair strategies, negative mood regulation expectancies), and positive and negative affect were assessed using self-report measures in a non-clinical sample of 256 adults. The relationship between higher dispositional mindfulness and better mental health was found to be best explained by reduced maladaptive emotion processing styles and associated lower negative affect, rather than by enhanced adaptive emotion processing and higher positive affect. Further research should investigate whether the same mechanisms explain psychological benefits of cultivated mindfulness in people with low dispositional mindfulness and/or with mental health disorders following mindfulness skills training.
Keywords: Adaptive emotion processing; Dispositional mindfulness; Emotional pathways; Maladaptive emotion processing; Mental health; Negative affect; Positive affect.
PMID: 38027720 PMCID: PMC10658320 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21934
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