Childhood emotional maltreatment, anxiety, attachment, and mindfulness: Associations with facial emotion recognition.
Lianne H. English, Melanie Wisener, Heidi N. Bailey
International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect June 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.02.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 126 |
| Population | Female university students |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Under low cognitive load, attachment avoidance and mindfulness predicted quicker fear identification, while anxiety predicted slower fear identification. Under high cognitive load, emotional maltreatment and mindfulness predicted quicker fear identification, and anxiety and mindfulness predicted faster overall emotion identification. The authors suggest these associations, mostly specific to fearful faces, indicate that childhood emotional maltreatment and related factors are linked to heightened processing of threat-related information. |
Abstract
The current study investigated factors thought to contribute to facial emotion processing. Female university students (N = 126) completed self-report measures of childhood emotional maltreatment, anxiety symptoms, attachment anxiety and avoidance, and trait mindfulness before completing a facial emotion recognition task, where they viewed sequences of faces that incorporated progressively more emotional content until they were able to correctly identify the emotion. They completed the task under low and high cognitive load conditions to distinguish between relatively effortful versus automatic processing abilities. Regression analyses revealed that under low cognitive load, attachment avoidance and mindfulness predicted quicker identification of fear (i.e., with less perceptual information), whereas anxiety predicted slower identification of fear (i.e., with more perceptual information). In the high cognitive load condition, emotional maltreatment and mindfulness predicted quicker identification of fear, and anxiety and mindfulness predicted faster identification of emotions overall. Although current findings are correlational, most of these effects were specific to fearful faces, suggesting that experiences of childhood emotional maltreatment and associated socio-emotional sequelae are related to heightened processing of threat-related information.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Mixed Methods Study on The Impact of Coloring Mandalas on Emotional Regulation, Mindfulness, and Attachment Style in Adults 2025
- The Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Affective Symptoms: A Meta-analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) Clinical Psychology Review November 11, 2019
Cites 10
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
and 5 more in the library