The Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Affective Symptoms: A Meta-analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)
Clinical Psychology Review November 11, 2019 Joseph K. Carpenter, Kristina Conroy, Angelina F Gómez et al.
Trait mindfulness is linked to lower negative affective symptoms, with the facets Nonjudge and Act with Awareness showing the strongest negative correlations. A meta-analysis of 148 studies (44,075 participants) found a weighted mean correlation of r = −0.53 between overall trait mindfulness and affective symptoms. Nonjudge (r = −0.48) and Act with Awareness (r = −0.47) had the largest associations, followed by Nonreact (r = −0.33) and Describe (r = −0.29). Observe was not significantly correlated. Correlations did not differ significantly across anxiety, depression, or PTSD symptoms, though generalized anxiety showed a weaker link with Describe. Cultural differences emerged: Describe correlated more strongly with affective symptoms in Eastern samples, while Nonjudge did so in Western samples.