Examining the Factor Structure of the 39-Item and 15-Item Versions of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Before and After Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for People With Recurrent Depression
Psychological Assessment April 14, 2016 Jenny Gu, C. Strauss, C. Crane et al.
The 39-item and 15-item versions of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) show different factor structures before and after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in adults with remitted recurrent depression. Before MBCT, a four-factor model (excluding the Observing facet) best fit the data; after MBCT, a five-factor model fit best. Configural invariance across time was not supported, meaning the questionnaire's structure changes with intervention, which may invalidate direct pre-to-post comparisons. Both versions had adequate internal consistency and sensitivity to change and did not differ in convergent validity. Researchers should consider omitting the Observing subscale when comparing scores before and after mindfulness interventions. The FFMQ-15 is a suitable brief alternative.