Mindfulness and Marital Adjustment: Experiential Avoidance, Valued Living, and Mindfulness in Marriage as Multiple Mediators
Selen Gungor, Seher Merve Erus, Seydi Ahmet Satıcı
The Family Journal April 7, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/10664807261438073 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 430 |
| Population | Married individuals aged 22 to 68 (257 women, 173 men) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Experiential avoidance, valued living, and mindfulness in marriage sequentially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and marital adjustment. The authors propose that acceptance and valued living are important factors in this relationship. |
Abstract
The level of marital adjustment of married individuals, which is an important value area, is considered important both individually and socially. Acceptance and commitment therapy approach is increasingly applied in marital relationships. The importance of examining the relationships between mindfulness, valued living, and experiential avoidance and marital adjustment has become evident over the years. This study was conducted to examine the multiple sequential mediation of experiential avoidance, valued living, and mindfulness in marriage between married individuals’ mindfulness and marital adjustment. The data were collected from a total of 430 married individuals, 257 women and 173 men, between the ages of 22 and 68. Bootstrapping procedure indicated that experiential avoidance, valued living, and mindfulness in marriage had a sequential mediating effect between mindfulness and marital adjustment. Researchers may need to pay more attention to acceptance and valued living as important factors in the relationship between mindfulness and marital adjustment.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness Matters: Untangling Entrapment and Mental Well-Being in Married Couples. Psychiatric Quarterly June 11, 2025
- Anxiety Sensitivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Mindfulness Among Younger and Older Adults The International Journal of Aging and Human Development October 1, 2015