Latent Profile Analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in a Sample With a History of Recurrent Depression
Jenny Gu, Anke Karl, Ruth A. Baer, C. Strauss, Thorsten Barnhofer, Catherine Crane
Assessment June 19, 2017 DOI: 10.1177/1073191117715114 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using latent profile analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 683 |
| Population | Adults with a history of recurrent depression |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | A four-profile solution on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire replicated across test (n = 343) and validation (n = 340) samples: "high mindfulness," "nonjudgmentally aware," "moderate mindfulness," and "very low mindfulness." "High mindfulness" was associated with the most adaptive psychological functioning and "very low mindfulness" with the least adaptive. Most people with recurrent depression showed evenly expressed mindfulness skills, though a small minority showed a replicable uneven nonjudgmental-awareness profile. |
Abstract
Extending previous research, we applied latent profile analysis in a sample of adults with a history of recurrent depression to identify subgroups with distinct response profiles on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and understand how these relate to psychological functioning. The sample was randomly divided into two subsamples to first examine the optimal number of latent profiles (test sample; n = 343) and then validate the identified solution (validation sample; n = 340). In both test and validation samples, a four-profile solution was revealed where two profiles mapped broadly onto those previously identified in nonclinical samples: “high mindfulness” and “nonjudgmentally aware.” Two additional subgroups, “moderate mindfulness” and “very low mindfulness,” were observed. “High mindfulness” was associated with the most adaptive psychological functioning and “very low mindfulness” with the least adaptive. In most people with recurrent depression, mindfulness skills are expressed evenly across different domains. However, in a small minority a meaningful and replicable uneven profile indicating nonjudgmental awareness is observable. Current findings require replication and future research should examine the extent to which profiles change from periods of wellness to illness in people with recurrent depression and how profiles are influenced by exposure to mindfulness-based intervention.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metacognitive awareness and prevention of relapse in depression: Empirical evidence. Residually depressed patients and nondepressed controls; recovered depressed patients | 2002 | Observational cohort with intervention components | |
| Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 19 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Concomitant BDNF and sleep slow wave changes indicate ketamine-induced plasticity in major depressive disorder Patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 30 |
| Altered peripheral immune profiles in treatment-resistant depression: response to ketamine and prediction of treatment outcome Healthy controls and actively depressed patients with treatment-resistant depression... | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 59 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Not all mindfulness is equal: certain facets of mindfulness have important implications for well-being and mental health across the lifespan. Frontiers in Psychology 2024
- Dispositional mindfulness profiles and psychological symptoms: a latent profile analysis. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Change in Mindfulness Profiles After Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder Mindfulness July 1, 2024
- Latent Profile Analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) Subscales in a Naturalistic Sample of Patients with Past or Present Major Depression: A Replication and Extension Study Mindfulness February 1, 2024
- Putting mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to the test in routine clinical practice: A transdiagnostic panacea or a disorder specific intervention? Journal of Psychiatric Research October 2021
and 1 more in the library
Cites 10
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- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for preventing relapse in recurrent depression: A randomized dismantling trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology December 3, 2013
- Meta-analytic evidence for effects of mindfulness training on dimensions of self-reported dispositional mindfulness. Psychological Assessment 2016
- The “What” and the “How” of Dispositional Mindfulness Assessment May 14, 2012
and 5 more in the library