Decentering as a mediator of the effect of mindfulness on emotional distress: Evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.
Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research November 17, 2024 Zhenzhen Wang, Xinyi Tang, Amy Hu et al. 5 citations
Decentering—the ability to observe thoughts and feelings as temporary mental events rather than as reflections of reality—may be a key mechanism through which mindfulness-based interventions reduce anxiety and depression. In a cross-sectional study of 998 adults with high emotional distress, decentering significantly mediated the link between mindfulness and lower symptoms. In a longitudinal randomized trial, 688 participants were assigned to a Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED) or a waitlist control. The MIED group showed greater improvements in decentering, anxiety, and depression over time. Reciprocal influences between decentering and distress were observed, and decentering during the intervention significantly mediated the program's effect on reducing emotional distress.