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Mindfulness-based interventions are efficacious in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms, but mechanisms underlying these benefits have not been fully elucidated. Based on cognitive theories of depression and anxiety, a reduction in negatively biased cognition may be one mechanism. We reviewed the empirical literature on mindfulness and negatively biased cognition. Thirty-seven studies met inclusion/exclusion criteria. The evidence generally indicated that mindfulness was inversely associated with negatively biased cognition, across various measures (i.e., self-reported negatively biased cognitive styles and cognitive responses to tasks involving valenced stimuli), study designs (i.e., correlational, quasi-experimental, and experimental), and samples (i.e., unselected and clinical). However, the relation was mixed for cognitive reactivity to negative emotions in recurrent depression and null for indices of quick behavioral control. Correlational evidence in unselected samples also supported an indirect relation between mindfulness and fewer depression and anxiety symptoms through less negatively biased cognition. Mindfulness may be useful for addressing this intended mechanism of traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy. Future research should more directly test the role of negatively biased cognition in protective and therapeutic effects of mindfulness., Author(s): Cameron G. Ford [sup.1] [sup.2] , Laura G. Kiken [sup.3] , Ilana Haliwa [sup.2] , Natalie J. Shook [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) Nova Behavioral Healthcare Corporation, , 2307 Norwood [...]

Objective: College students' psychological health may be compromised due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we aimed to identify risk (eg, perceived risk of contracting COVID-19) and protective factors (ie, social support, mindfulness) for positive (ie, subjective happiness, satisfaction with life) and negative (ie, depression, anxiety, stress) aspects of psychological health. Participants: Participants were 251 college students at a mid-Atlantic university. Method: Self-report online survey data were collected between March and May 2020 using established measures of risk perception, mindfulness, social support, and psychological health. Results: Greater perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 was associated with greater depression, anxiety, and stress. Greater mindfulness was a protective factor for psychological health. Greater social support was associated with less depression, and greater happiness and life satisfaction. Conclusions: Programs that teach students how to cultivate mindfulness and supportive relationships and reduce their risk of contracting COVID-19 may help protect against depression, stress, and anxiety.

A substantial body of evidence indicates that mindfulness is associated with less anxiety. However, less is known about the mechanisms by which mindfulness decreases anxiety. One possibility is that mindfulness encourages individuals to be less experientially avoidant (e.g., less likely to attempt to suppress or avoid unwanted private experiences), a hallmark of anxiety. The purpose of the present research was to assess whether less experiential avoidance accounted for the inverse relation between mindfulness and anxiety. Two studies were conducted with college students (Ns = 493 and 320, respectively). Participants completed self-report measures of trait mindfulness, anxiety, and experiential avoidance online (Study 1) and in person (Study 2) for course credit. Across both studies, greater mindfulness was associated with lower experiential avoidance and anxiety, and experiential avoidance was positively associated with anxiety. Furthermore, experiential avoidance significantly accounted for the relation between mindfulness and anxiety in both studies. Alternative mediation models were also tested. These findings suggest that mindfulness may improve anxiety through its effects on experiential avoidance. Given that experiential avoidance is thought to be involved in the development and maintenance of several psychological disorders, interventions involving mindfulness training may have promising broad mental health benefits. However, further research is needed to replicate these findings across clinical populations and therapeutic settings., Author(s): D. Lee McCluskey [sup.1] , Ilana Haliwa [sup.2] , Jenna M. Wilson [sup.2] , Jared W. Keeley [sup.3] , Natalie J. Shook [sup.2] [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.414059.d, 0000 [...]

Delay discounting describes how a reward loses value as a function of increasing delay to its receipt and has been reliably associated with a variety of vulnerable populations including those with substance use disorders (SUDs). Two commonly used models to assess delay discounting in the field of SUDs include log k derived from Mazur's hyperbolic equation and area under the curve (AUC). In the current study, we compared log k with AUC on delay discounting data obtained from non-treatment seeking, cocaine- and methamphetamine-dependent volunteers. We specifically chose this population in order to obtain a distribution of relatively steep discounters. The results show that the relationship between AUC and log k is better described by a quadratic rather than a linear function. In other words, changes in discounting, as measured by AUC and log k, are reflected differently across a range of obtained responses. Additionally, the distribution of AUC values was skewed, which appears to be more likely among populations exhibiting greater discounting. Finally, closer examination of indifference points revealed that AUC was almost perfectly predicted by the area from the two longest delays, with relatively less input from shorter delays. Given these results, researchers should exercise additional caution when deciding which method to use to assess discounting data and how final results are to be interpreted, particularly when dealing with relatively high rates of discounting. High rates of discounting are likely in populations with impulsive disorders such as those with SUDs. Keywords Delay discounting * Area under the curve * Impulsivity * Cocaine, methamphetamine, Delay discounting describes how a reward loses value as a function of increasing delay to its receipt (Bickel & Marsch, 2001). As such, delay discounting provides a useful framework for [...]

Abstract Objective: College students’ psychological health has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., 1). We investigated whether students’ psychological health was related to their orientation toward the future and mindfulness while considering previously-identified correlates of psychological health such as perceived risks of COVID-19. Participants: Participants were 278 college students at a mid-Atlantic US university in November and December 2020. Method: Using a self-report survey, we measured three aspects of psychological health (depression, anxiety, and stress) and future orientation, mindfulness, perceptions of risk, and the personal impact of COVID-19 on students’ lives. Results: Multiple linear regression analyses showed that greater mindfulness and focusing less on a limited future were related to less depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusions: Encouraging students to be mindful and focus on the present instead of focusing on a limited future may be beneficial for their psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]