Behavioral Assessment of Mindfulness Difficulties in Borderline Personality Disorder
Hannah J. Scheibner, Stefanie Spengler, Phillipp Kanske, Stefan Roepke, Felix Bermpohl
Mindfulness December 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-016-0572-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 53 |
| Population | Individuals with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mind-wandering Borderline personality disorder Behavioral research |
| Key findings | Individuals with BPD had fewer mindful episodes and longer mind-wandering episodes than healthy controls, but detected mind-wandering as accurately as controls. Self-reported mindfulness difficulties correlated with behavioral performance, indicating intact awareness of mind-wandering. |
Abstract
Although mindfulness plays an important role in the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), few studies have investigated whether individuals with BPD show difficulties in mindfulness. Those studies have relied exclusively on questionnaire data. Here, we used a more objective, behavioral assessment of mindfulness difficulties in BPD that allowed us to distinguish difficulties in mindfulness, prolonged mind-wandering, and difficulties in awareness of mind-wandering. Twenty-five individuals with BPD and 28 healthy controls performed two mindful breathing tasks. Frequency of mindfulness versus mind-wandering was assessed in the experimenter - prompted mindfulness task , where participants were interrupted at random intervals and asked whether they had just been mindful or mind-wandering. Awareness of mind-wandering was assessed in the self - prompted mindfulness task , where participants were asked to press a computer key whenever they noticed mind-wandering. Length of mind-wandering was assessed in both tasks. In individuals with BPD, we found a lower frequency of mindful episodes. In addition, individuals with BPD indicated longer mind-wandering episodes in the experimenter-prompted task. However, individuals with BPD detected mind-wandering episodes as accurately as healthy controls in the self-prompted task. Finally, difficulties in mindfulness observed in the behavioral tasks positively correlated with participants’ reports of mindfulness difficulties in everyday life. Using behavioral tasks to specify difficulties in mindfulness in BPD, this study indicated that although individuals with BPD mind-wander longer and more often, their awareness of mind-wandering appear unaffected. This indicates that mindfulness difficulties can be reported by individuals with BPD and that therapists can build on this awareness through mindfulness-based treatments of BPD.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Internal and external attention and the default mode network Neuroimage January 18, 2017
- Advancing mindfulness research through innovative Ecological Momentary Assessment approaches PsyArXiv December 12, 2023
- Self-caught methodologies for measuring mind wandering with meta-awareness: A systematic review. Consciousness and Cognition February 2023
- Self-Compassion Mediates the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms. Journal of personality disorders November 9, 2017
Cites 8
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Impact of short-term meditation and expectation on executive brain functions. Behavioural Brain Research 2016
- Mind wandering and attention during focused meditation: a fine-grained temporal analysis of fluctuating cognitive states. Neuroimage January 2, 2012
and 3 more in the library