Mindfulness and emotion regulation difficulties in generalized anxiety disorder: Preliminary evidence for independent and overlapping contributions
Lizabeth Roemer, Jonathan K. Lee, Kristalyn Salters-pedneault, Shannon M. Erisman, Susan M Orsillo, D. Mennin
The Behavior Therapist November 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2008.04.001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Two-sample cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 411 |
| Population | Nonclinical university students (n=395) and adults with GAD or non-anxious controls (n=32) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Both emotion regulation difficulties and mindfulness uniquely predicted GAD symptom severity in the nonclinical sample. Clinically diagnosed individuals with GAD reported lower mindfulness and higher emotion regulation difficulties than controls. |
Abstract
Diminished levels of mindfulness (awareness and acceptance/nonjudgment) and difficulties in emotion regulation have both been proposed to play a role in symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); the current studies investigated these relationships in a nonclinical and a clinical sample. In the first study, among a sample of 395 individuals at an urban commuter campus, we found that self reports of both emotion regulation difficulties and aspects of mindfulness accounted for unique variance in GAD symptom severity, above and beyond shared variance with depressive and anxious symptoms, as well as shared variance with one another. In the second study, we found that individuals diagnosed with clinically significant GAD (n = 16) reported significantly lower levels of mindfulness and significantly higher levels of difficulties in emotion regulation than individuals in a non-anxious control group (n = 16). Results are discussed in terms of directions for future research and potential implications for treatment development.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety. International sample of people who reported having used a psychedelic | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 985 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Ecstasy/MDMA attributed problems reported by novice, moderate and heavy recreational users Ecstasy users who participated in a WWW study of recreational drug use | 2002 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 282 |
| 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. Adults who used 5-MeO-DMT in a group setting with structured procedures | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 362 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 34
- Change in Brainstem Gray Matter Concentration Following a Mindfulness-Based Intervention is Correlated with Improvement in Psychological Well-Being Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Emotion Regulation as a Mechanism of Mindfulness in Individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety Disorders. Depression and Anxiety 2024
- Factor Structure and Reliability of the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale for Adolescents and the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Anxiety in Adolescents Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences September 8, 2018
- Characterizing the experiences of flotation-REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): A phenomenological study European Journal of Integrative Medicine April 28, 2017
- Exploring the Effects of Variety and Amount of Mindfulness Practices on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms: Longitudinal Study on a Mental Health-Focused eHealth System for Patients With Breast or Prostate Cancer. JMIR Mental Health November 21, 2024
and 29 more in the library
Cites 7
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
and 2 more in the library