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The inability to tolerate negative emotional states is associated with poor smoking outcomes (Brown et al., 2002; Brown et al., 2009). Mindfulness training is one technique used to increase distress tolerance, and preliminary research suggests improvements in distress tolerance might be one mechanism by which mindfulness training increases the chances of successfully quitting smoking (Abrantes et al., 2008; Bowen & Marlatt, 2009). However, no research, to date, has examined whether mindfulness training actually increases distress tolerance in smokers. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a brief mindfulness exercise on smokers’ perceived and behavioral distress tolerance, smoking urges in response to emotional distress, state mindfulness, and distress levels. Participants were 91 regular daily smokers (Mage = 46.03, SD = 9.97; 55% male, 74% African-American) who completed behavioral distress tolerance tasks and self-report measures of distress tolerance, distress levels, smoking urges, and state mindfulness before and after a brief mindfulness or control exercise. As hypothesized, results indicated that the brief mindfulness training significantly increased state mindfulness and showed a trend toward decreased distress levels. Contrary to prediction, the mindfulness training was not associated with improvements in distress tolerance or reductions in smoking urges over time. The current findings suggest that brief mindfulness exercises might provide several benefits for smokers, but they should not be expected to produce immediate improvements in distress tolerance or smoking urges in smokers.

Relaxation sensitivity is a newly developed construct that indexes fear of relaxation-related sensations. The purpose of the current study was to develop and validate a self-report measure of relaxation sensitivity, the Relaxation Sensitivity Index (RSI). Participants were 300 undergraduate psychology students (Mage = 21.25, SD = 5.89; 73% female; 83% Caucasian) who completed self-report measures for course credit; 69 of these participants (Mage = 20.26, SD = 2.99; 74% female; 87% Caucasian) completed the RSI one week later to provide data for test-retest reliability. Exploratory factor analyses were used to examine the latent structure of the RSI. A three-factor model consisting of correlated Physical, Cognitive, and Social Concerns subfactors was a good fit to the data (CFI = .97, TLI = .97, SRMR = .07, RMSEA = .04 [90% CI = .03 - .04]). The RSI total score and subscale scores correlated, as expected, with measures of anxiety, depression, and negative affect (range: .16 to .67). Evidence for discriminant validity was mixed; RSI total and subscale scores were modestly negatively correlated with positive affect and the describing and acting with awareness aspects of mindfulness. RSI total and subscale scores were modestly positively correlated with the observing aspect of mindfulness and strongly negatively correlated with the acceptance facet of mindfulness. RSI total and subscale scores significantly predicted a history of relaxation-induced anxiety (range ORs: 1.08 to 1.21). All RSI scores showed good internal consistency reliability (range: .79 to .92) and test-retest reliability (range: .71 to .85). Results from this study indicate that the RSI is a valid and reliable measure of relaxation sensitivity with good psychometric properties.