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Longitudinal Associations between Internalizing Symptoms, Dispositional Mindfulness, Rumination and Impulsivity in Adolescents.

Estíbaliz Royuela-Colomer, Liria Fernández-González, Izaskun Orue

Journal of Youth and Adolescence July 9, 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01476-2 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Longitudinal Peer reviewed
Sample size 352
Population Spanish adolescents (57.4% girls; mean age 14.47, SD 1.34)
Duration One-year period, with measures at two time points
Topics Anxiety Depression Meditation
Keywords Humans Stress, psychological Impulsive behavior Anxiety disorders Female Rumination Adolescents Impulsivity Internalizing symptoms Dispositional mindfulness
Key findings Mindfulness negatively predicted later stress and depressive symptoms, and mindfulness and impulsivity were negatively associated in both directions. Impulsivity positively predicted later stress, and anxiety positively predicted later depressive symptoms, stress, and rumination. The authors argue mindfulness is a protective factor and impulsivity and anxiety are risk factors for internalizing symptoms in adolescence.

Abstract

Mindfulness has been associated with fewer negative mental health symptoms during adolescence, but fewer studies have examined longitudinal associations between mindfulness and symptoms in conjunction with two vulnerability factors for psychopathology with mindfulness: rumination and impulsivity. This study examined longitudinal associations between internalizing symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress), mindfulness, rumination, and impulsivity over a one-year period among 352 Spanish adolescents (57.4% girls; M = 14.47, SD = 1.34). Participants completed self-reported measures of symptoms, mindfulness, rumination, and impulsivity at two time points. Mindfulness negatively predicted stress and depressive symptoms, and a bidirectional negative association was found between mindfulness and impulsivity. Impulsivity positively predicted stress, and anxiety positively predicted depressive symptoms, stress, and rumination. This study highlights the importance of mindfulness as a protective factor and impulsivity and anxiety as risk factors for internalizing symptoms throughout adolescence. These findings build on previous studies that examined longitudinal associations between mindfulness and symptoms by including rumination and impulsivity's roles.

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

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Anxiety Depression Meditation