Graduate Program

Clinical Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

2012

Thesis Director

Ronan S. Bernas

Thesis Committee Member

Wesley D. Allan

Thesis Committee Member

Russell E. Gruber

Abstract

Mindfulness is defined as a process of paying attention to the moment-by-moment experience of thoughts and feelings. It is a non-elaborative, non-judgmental, present-centered awareness in which each thought, feeling or sensation that arises in the attentional field is acknowledged and accepted (Kabat-Zinn, 1990; 1998). The concept of mindfulness adopted in Western therapeutic contexts was derived from Eastern spiritual and philosophical Buddhist teachings. Since its introduction nearly 20 years ago, mindfulness-based treatments have evolved towards altering the relationship between the self and internal/external sensations to reduce multiple forms of psychological and physical morbidity (Bishop et al., 2004). Currently, it is used as a mechanism to prevent relapse of depression (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002; Scherer-Dickson, 2004), anxiety (Roemer & Orsillo, 2002), eating disorders (Telech, Agras, Stewart, & Linehan, 2001), and a variety of other psychological disorders (see Kabat-Zinn, 1990 for review). Much of the literature have provided empirical support for the effectiveness of these treatments but have not explored the roles that the five facets of mindfulness play in predicting or reducing the minute features of mental illness. The purpose of the current study was to replicate results supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness in reducing rumination while examining the specific facets of mindfulness that facilitate this change. In addition, rumination was tested as a possible mediator to ascertain the nature of mindfulness' influence on the states of depression and anger. Two forms of rumination were examined: depressive and anger rumination. They are distinct forms of the same maladaptive coping mechanism (Whitmer & Banich, 2007). One hundred thirty-two Eastern Illinois University students participated in the study. Their levels of mindfulness, depressive/anger rumination, and depressive/anger states were measured. Overall, mindfulness exhibited inverse relationships with both depressive and anger rumination. The mindfulness facet of 'non-judgment' primarily accounted for the lower levels of depressive and anger rumination. In addition, the facets of 'non-reactivity' and 'observation' were associated with anger rumination (though 'observation' was unexpectedly positively correlated with anger rumination). Subsequent analyses examining the relationship between mindfulness and depressive/anger emotional states found depressive rumination to be a partial mediator of the relationship of mindfulness with depression, while anger rumination fully mediated the relationship with anger. Clinical implications of this research, limitations and suggestions for future studies were discussed.

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