The role of negative cognitions, dissociation, and meta-awareness in the relationship between mind-wandering and depression: A serial mediation model.
Diane M. Nayda, Melanie K. T. Takarangi
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice May 11, 2026 DOI: 10.1037/cns0000471 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 261 |
| Population | Crowdsourced, nonclinical adult participants |
| Topics | Depression |
| Key findings | Mind-wandering was associated with depression through negative cognitions (perseverative thinking, brooding), which were in turn associated with greater dissociation across all three subtypes (absorption, amnestic, depersonalization/derealization). The authors' proposed five-step serial mediation model involving reduced meta-awareness was not supported; a four-step model was supported instead. |
Abstract
Mind-wandering is associated with negative mood and depression.Factors potentially affecting this relationship include negative cognitions (i.e., perseverative thinking and brooding) and meta-awareness (i.e., explicit awareness of thoughts).However, how meta-awareness contributes to the relationship is unclear.Because meta-awareness characteristics (e.g., not being aware of our thoughts) overlap with dissociation, this study investigated a five-chain serial mediation model predicting that more mind-wandering would be related to more negative cognitions (perseverative thinking or brooding), which in turn would be related to greater dissociation, and decreased meta-awareness activation-to avoid/detach from the negative cognitions-which ultimately is associated with increased depression symptomology.Two hundred sixty-one crowdsourced participants completed mind-wandering, dissociation, brooding, meta-awareness, and depression measures.We used serial mediation analyses to test the proposed models.Perseverative thinking, brooding, dissociation, and meta-awareness independently mediated the relationship between mind-wandering and depression.Our fivechain serial mediation analyses did not support our proposed model.Instead, a four-chain serial mediation analysis supported a model that showed greater mind-wandering was associated with increased negative cognitions, which were associated with greater dissociation (amnestic, depersonalization, absorption), and in turn higher depression symptomology.Limitations include meta-awareness and dissociation measurements, recruitment of a nonclinical sample, and a cross-sectional design.People's mind-wandering is related to depression through its association with greater negative cognitions, which, in turn, is associated with increased dissociation across all three subtypes (absorption, amnestic, depersonalization/derealization).
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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