The relationship between mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and symptom severity in persons with schizophrenia-spectrum-disorders: a cross-sectional study.

Mindfulness is linked to fewer positive and depressive symptoms in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and psychological flexibility appears to partly explain how mindfulness relates to negative and depressive symptoms. In a cross-sectional study of 94 adults with these disorders, higher mindfulness scores correlated with lower positive and depressive symptom severity and with greater psychological flexibility. Statistical mediation analyses showed that psychological flexibility significantly mediated the relationship between mindfulness and both negative and depressive symptoms. The findings suggest psychological flexibility may be a mechanism through which mindfulness-based interventions reduce certain symptoms, though longitudinal research is needed to confirm this.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in enhancing mental well-being and reducing positive, negative, and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) has been increasingly supported by evidence. However, the underlying mechanisms of MBIs require further examination. Psychological flexibility (PF), typically assessed through cognitive fusion, has been associated with clinical change in MBIs. This study employed a cross-sectional design to explore the interplay between mindfulness, PF, and symptom severity in SSD. A total of N = 94 persons with SSD were included in the analysis. Correlation and mediation analyses were performed using PROCESS analysis, with positive, negative, and depressive symptom severity as outcome variables, measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), respectively. The findings indicated that mindfulness was significantly negatively correlated with positive and depressive symptoms and significantly positively correlated with PF. A significant mediating effect of PF was identified in the relationship between mindfulness and both negative and depressive symptoms. This study supports previous research suggesting PF as a possible mechanism of action in MBIs. However, future research utilizing longitudinal designs, more nuanced analyses, and mixed method approaches in assessment tools is warranted.