Mindfulness was negatively associated with suicidal ideation in a cross-sectional online study of 376 adults (mean age 27.35, 75% female). Mindfulness was also negatively linked to expressive suppression and thought suppression and positively linked to cognitive reappraisal. Suicidal ideation was negatively correlated with mindfulness and cognitive reappraisal and positively correlated with expressive suppression and thought suppression. All three emotion regulation strategies mediated the relationship between mindfulness and suicidal ideation. The authors argue that integrating mindfulness-based interventions into suicide prevention is promising and that emotion regulation strategies can be a therapeutic target.
A brief mindfulness intervention given to 93 female students waiting for an experimental pressure-pain task increased their state mindfulness but did not reduce perceived pain intensity. Participants who were instructed to worry about the upcoming pain reported higher pain intensity afterward, consistent with known negative effects of worry. No significant differences in pain ratings emerged between the mindfulness, worry, and control groups overall, and pain intensity did not change from baseline to post-intervention across conditions. The findings suggest that a single session of mindfulness can boost momentary mindfulness but may not affect the sensory component of acute pain; future work should examine effects on the emotional aspect of pain.