Trait Mindfulness in Psychotic Disorders: Dimensions Predicting Symptoms, Cognition, and Functional Outcome.
Ian M Raugh, Gregory P Strauss
Behavior therapy January 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2023.05.004 via PubMed
Summary
People with psychotic disorders report lower overall mindfulness than nonpsychiatric controls, with the largest difference in the acceptance component among those with affective psychosis. Greater attentive monitoring is linked to better neurocognitive performance, while greater nonjudgmental acceptance is associated with fewer defeatist beliefs, less alexithymia, and lower depression and anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that acceptance, in particular, may be a valuable treatment target for psychosocial interventions for psychotic disorders, especially when mood symptoms are present.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 109 |
| Population | Individuals with psychotic disorders (n=54) and nonpsychiatric controls (n=55) |
| Keywords | Acceptance Monitoring Psychosis Schizoaffective disorder Schizophrenia |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key finding | In people with psychotic disorders, acceptance is more strongly associated with lower defeatist beliefs, alexithymia, and mood symptoms than monitoring, which is linked to better neurocognitive performance. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based treatments are efficacious for psychotic disorders (PD). However, which components of mindfulness (i.e., attentive monitoring and nonjudgmental acceptance) are most relevant treatment targets is unclear. Further, there is a dearth of literature examining clinical correlates of mindfulness in people with PD. The present study aimed to examine group differences and clinical correlates of mindfulness in people with PD. We hypothesized that PD would report lower monitoring and acceptance than CN and that mindfulness components would be associated with symptoms including dysfunctional beliefs, alexithymia, neurocognitive ability, positive symptoms, and mood symptoms. Groups included individuals with PD (n = 54) and nonpsychiatric controls (n = 55). Participants completed self-report measures of mindfulness and related constructs and clinical interviews of symptoms. Results of ANOVA models indicated that global mindfulness was lower in PD relative to CN, with greatest differences evident for acceptance in the affective psychosis group. Regression models found that greater monitoring was associated with improved neurocognitive performance, while acceptance was associated with lower defeatist beliefs, alexithymia, and depression/anxiety symptoms. Results highlight the importance of targeting acceptance in the psychosocial treatment of PDs, especially for those with mood symptoms.