Depersonalization, mindfulness, and childhood trauma.
Matthias Michal, Manfred E Beutel, Jochen Jordan, Michael Zimmermann, Susanne Wolters, Thomas Heidenreich
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease August 2007 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0b013e31811f4492 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mixed sample of nonpatients and chronic nonmalignant pain patients |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Depersonalization severity showed a strong inverse correlation with mindfulness in both nonpatients and chronic pain patients, persisting after controlling for general psychological distress. In nonpatients, emotional maltreatment correlated positively with depersonalization severity and negatively with mindfulness. The authors argue this supports an antithetical relationship between depersonalization and certain aspects of mindfulness and encourage research on mindfulness-based interventions for depersonalization. |
Abstract
Depersonalization (DP), i.e., feelings of being detached from one's own mental processes or body, can be considered as a form of mental escape from the full experience of reality. This mental escape is thought to be etiologically linked with maltreatment during childhood. The detached state of consciousness in DP contrasts with certain aspects of mindfulness, a state of consciousness characterized by being in touch with the present moment. Against this background, the present article investigates potential connections between DP severity, mindfulness, and childhood trauma in a mixed sample of nonpatients and chronic nonmalignant pain patients. We found a strong inverse correlation between DP severity and mindfulness in both samples, which persisted after partialing out general psychological distress. In the nonpatient sample, we additionally found significant correlations between emotional maltreatment on the one hand and DP severity (positive) and mindfulness (negative) on the other. We conclude that the results first argue for an antithetical relationship between DP and certain aspects of mindfulness and thus encourage future studies on mindfulness-based interventions for DP and second throw light on potential developmental factors contributing to mindfulness.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 29
- Sitting with the Demons – Mindfulness, Suffering, and Existential Transformation Asian Studies August 10, 2016
- The link between childhood trauma and dissociation in frequent users of classic psychedelics and dissociatives Journal of Substance Use May 21, 2019
- Assessing responsiveness to direct verbal suggestions in depersonalization-derealization disorder Psychiatry Research July 17, 2022
- Anxiety-related Symptoms following the Sporadic Use of Ecstasy – A Case Study Journal of Psychoactive Drugs November 25, 2021
- Reflective awareness in dreams following loss and trauma 2010
and 24 more in the library
Cites 6
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- Validation of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in a cancer population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research January 2005
- Depersonalisation disorder: a contemporary overview. CNS Drugs 2004
- Depersonalization and meditation. Psychiatry May 1990
and 1 more in the library