Mindfulness buffers the effect of negative affect on rumination: A daily diary study during a mindfulness‐based intervention
Zitong Xin, Jialu Jin, Mo Chen, Stefan G Hofmann, Xinghua Liu
Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being September 30, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.70230 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-arm daily diary study nested within an 8-week intervention Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 116 |
| Population | Adults with emotional distress |
| Duration | 8-week intervention with daily assessments |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Daily mindfulness increased and daily negative affect and state rumination decreased over the 8-week mindfulness-based intervention, though the authors caution these pre-post changes cannot be attributed solely to the intervention given the single-arm design. Higher daily mindfulness buffered the effect of daily negative affect on state rumination, and different mindfulness components appeared to play distinct roles in the onset versus maintenance of rumination. |
Abstract
Abstract Negative affect automatically triggering rumination is a core pathological mechanism underlying emotional distress. While mindfulness is hypothesized to buffer this process, few studies have dynamically tracked these effects during systematic interventions. The study employed a single‐arm daily diary design during an 8‐week mindfulness‐based intervention (MBI) to investigate whether daily mindfulness buffers the effect of negative affect on rumination. A sample of 116 participants with emotional distress completed daily assessments of mindfulness, negative affect, and state rumination during the MBI. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models (LMMs) and dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM). LMM results showed that following the MBI, participants' daily mindfulness significantly increased, while daily negative affect and state rumination significantly decreased. Given the single‐arm pre–post design without a control group, these pre–post changes should be interpreted cautiously and cannot be attributed solely to the intervention. DSEM results indicated that higher daily mindfulness buffered the effect of daily negative affect on state rumination. Additional analyses further suggested that different mindfulness components played distinct roles in the onset and maintenance of rumination. These findings highlight the protective role of mindfulness in weakening maladaptive rumination, thereby promoting overall psychological well‐being.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Brief mindfulness training for negative affectivity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology June 25, 2018
- Supported Mindfulness-Based Self-Help Intervention as an Adjunctive Treatment for Rapid Symptom Change in Emotional Disorders: A Practice-Oriented Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2025
- Impact of a Momentary Mindfulness Intervention on Rumination, Negative Affect, and their Dynamics in Daily Life. Affective Science June 1, 2025
- The relationship between mindfulness meditation and well-being during 8 weeks of ecological momentary assessment Mindfulness 2020
- Gender Differences in Prevalence, Patterns, Purposes, and Perceived Benefits of Meditation Practices in the United States. Journal of Women's Health December 13, 2018
and 2 more in the library