The Link Between Neuroticism and Everyday Cognitive Failures is Mediated by Self-Reported Mindfulness Among College Students.

Neuroticism has been linked to an increased likelihood of cognitive failures, including episodes of inattentiveness, forgetfulness, or accidents causing difficulties in successfully executing everyday tasks and impacting health and quality of life. Cognitive failures associated with trait neuroticism can prompt some negative psychological outcomes and risky behaviors. Accumulating evidence shows that augmenting mindfulness can benefit cognitive health and general well-being. However, little is known regarding potential cognitive-behavioral pathways through which individual differences in trait neuroticism could influence the propensity to cognitive failures. Using a sample of 1003 undergraduate college students (females: n = 779) consisting of self-reported questionnaire data, we conducted correlational and mediational analyses to investigate the interrelationship between neuroticism, mindfulness, and cognitive failures. Higher neuroticism scores (females: r = -0.388, males: r = -0.390) and higher cognitive failures scores (females: r = -0.339, males: r = -0.407, p < .001) were significantly correlated with lower self-reported mindfulness scores. Mindfulness significantly mediated the relationship between neuroticism and cognitive failures (ß = 0.50, 95%, CI: 0.37, 0.65). These findings indicate that higher mindfulness may help ameliorate negative effects of neuroticism on everyday cognitive failures. Future research will determine how college students may benefit from positive impact of mindfulness to improve their psychological and physical health.

Exploring the Roles of Dispositional Mindfulness and Cognitive Reappraisal in the Relationship Between Neuroticism and Depression Among Postgraduate Students in China.

Objectives: Previous studies revealed a positive association between neuroticism and depression. This study further extended the previous findings by exploring the psychological processes underlying this association among Chinese postgraduates. Guided by theoretical models and empirical research, we proposed a multiple mediation and moderated mediation model to investigate the roles of dispositional mindfulness and cognitive reappraisal in the relationship between neuroticism and depression. Methods: Using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, 1103 first-year postgraduates at a comprehensive university in China were surveyed. Path analysis was adopted to test the models. Results: The results showed that dispositional mindfulness mediated the association between neuroticism and depression. Further, this mediating effect was moderated by cognitive reappraisal, with this effect being stronger in individuals with low engagement in cognitive reappraisal. Conclusion: The results support interrelations among neuroticism, depression, dispositional mindfulness, and cognitive reappraisal as moderated mediation rather than multiple mediation. The results enhance our understanding of psychological mechanisms between neuroticism and depression and provide suggestions for interventions to prevent or reduce depression in highly neurotic postgraduates.

Untangling the tingle: Investigating the association between the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), neuroticism, and trait & state anxiety.

The Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is an intensely pleasant tingling sensation originating in the scalp and neck and is elicited by a range of online video-induced triggers. Many individuals now regularly watch ASMR videos to relax, and alleviate symptoms of stress and insomnia, all which are indicative of elevated levels of anxiety. Emerging literature suggests that ASMR-capable individuals are characterised by high trait neuroticism, which is associated with a tendency to experience negative emotional states such as anxiety. To date however no literature has empirically linked these personality constructs and watching ASMR videos on the effect of reducing anxiety. In the current study, 36 ASMR-experiencers and 28 non-experiencers watched an ASMR video, and completed assessments of neuroticism, trait anxiety, and pre- / post-video state anxiety. MANCOVA with Group as the independent measures factor showed that ASMR-experiencers had significantly greater scores for neuroticism, trait anxiety, and video engagement than non-experiencers. Pre-video state anxiety was also significantly greater in the ASMR-experiencers and was significantly attenuated on exposure to the ASMR video, whereas non-experiencers reported no difference in state anxiety pre- and post-video. Thus, watching ASMR alleviated state anxiety but only in those who experienced ASMR. Subsequent mediation analyses identified the importance of pre-existing group differences in neuroticism, trait and (pre-video) state anxiety in accounting for the group difference in the reduction of state anxiety. The mediation analysis further lends support for watching ASMR videos as an intervention for the reduction of acute state anxiety. Future areas for research are discussed.

Distress in hospitalized cancer patients: Associations with personality traits, clinical and psychosocial characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To improve allocation of psychosocial care and to provide patient-oriented support offers, identification of determinants of elevated distress is needed. So far, there is a lack of evidence investigating the interplay between individual disposition and current clinical and psychosocial determinants of distress in the inpatient setting. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated 879 inpatients with different cancer sites treated in a German Comprehensive Cancer Center. Assessment of determinants of elevated distress included sociodemographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics as well as dimensions of personality. Multiple linear regression was applied to identify determinants of psychosocial distress. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was M = 61.9 (SD = 11.8), 48.1% were women. In the multiple linear regression model younger age (ß = -0.061, p = 0.033), higher neuroticism (ß = 0.178, p = <0.001), having metastases (ß = 0.091, p = 0.002), being in a worse physical condition (ß = 0.380, p = <0.001), depressive symptoms (ß = 0.270, p = <0.001), not feeling well informed about psychological support (ß = 0.054, p = 0.046) and previous uptake of psychological treatment (ß = 0.067, p = 0.020) showed significant associations with higher psychosocial distress. The adjusted R2 of the overall model was 0.464. CONCLUSION: Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and dispositional vulnerability, that is neuroticism, current clinical and psychosocial characteristics were still associated with hospitalized patients' psychosocial distress. Psycho-oncologists should address both, the more transient emotional responses, such as depressive symptoms, as well as more enduring patient characteristics, like neuroticism.

Biology of Perseverative Negative Thinking: The Role of Timing and Folate Intake.

Past-oriented rumination and future-oriented worry are two aspects of perseverative negative thinking related to the neuroticism endophenotype and associated with depression and anxiety. Our present aim was to investigate the genomic background of these two aspects of perseverative negative thinking within separate groups of individuals with suboptimal versus optimal folate intake. We conducted a genome-wide association study in the UK Biobank database (n = 72,621) on the "rumination" and "worry" items of the Eysenck Personality Inventory Neuroticism scale in these separate groups. Optimal folate intake was related to lower worry, but unrelated to rumination. In contrast, genetic associations for worry did not implicate specific biological processes, while past-oriented rumination had a more specific genetic background, emphasizing its endophenotypic nature. Furthermore, biological pathways leading to rumination appeared to differ according to folate intake: purinergic signaling and circadian regulator gene ARNTL emerged in the whole sample, blastocyst development, DNA replication, and C-C chemokines in the suboptimal folate group, and prostaglandin response and K+ channel subunit gene KCNH3 in the optimal folate group. Our results point to possible benefits of folate in anxiety disorders, and to the importance of simultaneously taking into account genetic and environmental factors to determine personalized intervention in polygenic and multifactorial disorders.

Modulatory effects of ayahuasca on personality structure in a traditional framework.

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive plant brew containing dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). It originates from the Amazon basin, where it is used primarily for ceremonial purposes. Ayahuasca tourists are now entering certain communities seeking alternative physical or psychological healing, as well as spiritual growth. RATIONALE: Recent evidence has shown that the similar acting psychedelic compound, psilocybin, facilitated long-term increases in trait openness following a single administration. OBJECTIVES: This paper assesses the impact of ayahuasca on personality in a traditional framework catering for ayahuasca tourists. METHOD: Within a mixed design, we examined the effect of ayahuasca on participants' personality (measured by the NEO Personality Inventory 3 questionnaire) across time (pre- to post-ayahuasca administration, and 6-month follow-up), relative to a comparison group (who did not ingest ayahuasca). RESULTS: The results demonstrated significant increases in agreeableness pre- and post-ayahuasca administration and significant reductions in neuroticism in 24 participants, relative to the comparison group. Both of these changes were sustained at 6-month follow-up, and trait level increases were also observed in openness at this stage. Additionally, greater perceived mystical experience (measured using the Mystical Experience Questionnaire 30) was associated with increased reductions in neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS: These findings, which indicate a positive mediating effect of ayahuasca on personality, support the growing literature suggesting potential therapeutic avenues for serotonergic psychedelics.

Personality Traits or Genetic Determinants-Which Strongly Influences E-Cigarette Users?

Presently, a growing popularity of electronic cigarettes may be observed. Used as a means of obtaining nicotine they allow to substitute traditional cigarettes. The origins of substance use disorders are conditioned by dopaminergic signaling which influences motivational processes being elementary factors conditioning the process of learning and exhibiting goal-directed behaviors. The study concentrated on analysis of three polymorphisms located in the dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2) gene-rs1076560, rs1799732 and rs1079597 using the PCR method, personality traits determined with the Big Five Questionnaire, and anxiety measured with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. The study was conducted on a group of 394 volunteers, consisting e-cigarette users (n = 144) and controls (n = 250). Compared to the controls the case group subjects achieved significantly higher scores in regard to the STAI state and the trait scale, as well as the NEO-FFI Neuroticism and Openness scale. Likewise, in the case of the STAI state for DRD2 rs1076560 significant differences were found. Furthermore, while comparing the groups (e-cigarette users vs. controls) we noticed interactions for the NEO FFI Neuroticism and DRD2 rs1076560. The same was observed in the case of interactions significance while comparing groups (e-cigarette users vs. controls) for the STAI trait/scale and DRD2 rs1799732. Findings from this study demonstrate that psychological factors and genetic determinants should be analyzed simultaneously and comprehensively while considering groups of addicted patients. Since the use, and rapid increase in popularity, of electronic cigarettes has implications for public health, e-cigarette users should be studied holistically, especially younger groups of addicted and experimenting users.

Who benefits from mindfulness? The moderating role of personality and social norms for the effectiveness on psychological and physiological outcomes among police officers.

There is a growing interest to use mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for occupational health promotion. As most evidence for the beneficial effects comes from convenience samples in the social/education/health sector, it is still an open question if MBIs are effective in other contexts, or for whom MBIs are more effective. In addition, self-selection and sample characteristics may have biased previous findings. Theoretically and practically, it is important to know whether MBIs are also effective for nonselective samples outside the social and health sector, especially in agentic and male-oriented cultures. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of a MBI on physiological and psychological criteria in a nonselective sample of police officers. Moreover, this study examines whether effectiveness depends on participants' personality (neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness) and on perceived social norms toward MBIs. Using a pre-post intervention design, N = 267 police officers were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving a 6-week intervention and to a control group. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed a positive effect on heart rate variability and a stronger reduction of psychological strain, health complaints, and negative affect, as well as more improvement of mindfulness and self-care in the intervention group in comparison with the control group. Additionally, participants higher in neuroticism and openness benefitted more, and the effectiveness was stronger for those who perceived a favorable social norm toward MBIs. Our findings provide evidence that participants with male-oriented occupations may also benefit from a MBI. The importance of individual differences and the social context is discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Neuroticism and Religiosity: The Role of Obsessive Beliefs, Thought-Control Strategies and Guilt in Scrupulosity and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms Among Muslim Undergraduates.

Neuroticism and religiosity are distal vulnerability factors for OCD phenomenon. The present study aimed to examine the roles of obsessive beliefs (OBs), thought-control strategies, and guilt in the relationship between these vulnerability factors and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs), specifically scrupulosity symptoms in a Muslim sample via SEM. The sample consisted of 273 university students who filled out a set of questionnaires. The results indicated that neuroticism and the degree of religiosity predict OBs that are positively associated with guilt and self-punishment both of which predict scrupulosity and other OCSs. Findings of the present study were discussed in the context of the related literature.

Dispositional Mindfulness Profiles in Adolescents and their Associations with Psychological Functioning and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Hormones.

Adolescence is often accompanied by an increase in stress and depression. Although there is considerable consensus about the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions to reduce these problems, the results for the role of dispositional mindfulness facets have been mixed. Recent studies have contributed to clarifying this role by identifying subtypes of individuals according to their profiles in mindfulness facets and examining the functioning of these profiles in relation to several self-reported indicators of wellbeing and health. The current study extends previous research by exploring mindfulness profiles in adolescents and by providing several sources of indicators (self-reports, parent-reports, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones) to examine the adaptive role of these profiles. A sample of 571 adolescents (50.61% girls; 12-17 years old) completed measures of mindfulness, depression, maladaptive schemas, and temperament (neuroticism, extraversion, and effortful control), and provided salivary samples for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. In addition, 331 adolescents' parents completed measures of their children' temperaments. The results of latent profile analyses supported a three-profile solution: (1) moderate mindfulness (65.5%), (2) judgmental observing (24.2%), and (3) nonjudgmentally aware (10.3%). The judgmental observing profile was associated with a worse adjustment, indicated by higher depressive symptoms, maladaptive schemas, perceived stress, stress-associated hormones, and neuroticism, as well as lower scores on extroversion and effortful control. This profile was more frequent among the oldest adolescents. In contrast, the nonjudgmentally aware group presented a better adjustment and was more frequent among the youngest adolescents. These findings have implications for preventive interventions. Analyzing the specific profile of each adolescent can help improve individual intervention, taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of each adolescent.

Neuroticism modulates neural activities of posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus during psychosocial stress processing.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with higher neuroticism are vulnerable to stress and are prone to develop depression, however, the neural mechanisms underlying it have not been clarified clearly. METHOD: The Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) was administered to 148 healthy adults during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Whole-brain voxel-wise regression analyses were used to detect associations of neuroticism with neural activity involved in perceiving and processing psychosocial stress. In addition, two-sample t-tests were conducted between the high-neurotic and low-neurotic group in order to supplement the results found in regression analyses. RESULTS: Higher neuroticism scores were associated with higher activities in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus and thalamus (p < 0.05, false discovery rate correction). Moreover, two sample t-tests also revealed that the high-neurotic group had higher neural stress responses in precuneus and bilateral thalamus in comparison to the low-neurotic group (p < 0.05, false discovery rate correction). LIMITATIONS: Our study mainly recruited young adults, which may limit the generalizability of our findings. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the crucial role of PCC/precuneus and thalamus in the association between neuroticism and stress and may provide insight into the cognitive model of depression.

Still facial photographs of long-term meditators are perceived by naïve observers as less neurotic, more conscientious and more mindful than non-meditating controls.

The impact of meditation training on self-report psychological variables is well-established. Although meditation training is purported to have interpersonal impacts, whether naïve observers perceive differences associated with long- and short-term meditation training is largely unknown. The current study provided a stringent test of this possibility through observer ratings of a very thin slice of expressive behavior: still photographs. Photographs were drawn from a larger study investigating differences between long-term meditators (LTM) and meditation naïve participants (MNP) who were exposed to one of three experimental conditions. Photographs of ninety-nine targets (16 LTMs, 83 MNPs) were taken at baseline, prior to the randomization of MNPs to an eight-week mindfulness meditation course (mindfulness-based stress reduction; n = 27), an active control comparison condition (health enhancement program; n = 29), or a waitlist control group (n = 27) and again after the training period. Pre- and post-intervention photographs were then rated by 25 meditation teachers and 86 undergraduate raters on five domains theoretically linked to meditation training. Results indicated that relative to MNPs, LTMs were rated as less neurotic and more conscientious, mindful, and "comfortable in their own skin" at baseline (ds = 0.61 to 0.70, ps < .050), although not more agreeable or attractive. Results were largely unchanged when controlling for five observable confounds (age, gender, race/ethnicity, body mass index, attractiveness). No evidence was found supporting experimental effects of short-term meditation training on observer ratings. Thus, it seems that if meditation is associated with observable differences in facial behavior, effects may be limited to long-term training.

Relationship between neuroticism and sleep quality among asthma patients: the mediation effect of mindfulness.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of sleep disturbance; to validate the associations between neuroticism, mindfulness, and sleep quality; and to further examine whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between neuroticism and sleep quality among asthma patients. METHODS: This study was conducted with 193 asthma patients from outpatient clinics. They completed questionnaires including the neuroticism subscale of the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Structural equation model was used to analyze the relationships among neuroticism, mindfulness, and sleep quality, with mindfulness as a mediator. RESULTS: The mean global PSQI score was 7.57 (SD = 3.25), and 69.9% of asthma patients reported poor sleep quality (cutoff score > 5). Structural equation model analysis showed that neuroticism was significantly associated with global PSQI scores (ß = 0.198, P = 0.006), and mindfulness (ß = - 0.408, P < 0.001), respectively; mindfulness was associated with global PSQI scores (ß = - 0.250, P = 0.006). Furthermore, mindfulness mediated the relationship between neuroticism and global PSQI scores, in which the mediation effect was 0.102 (- 0.408 × - 0.250), and the bootstrapped 95% CI did not include zero (0.032, 0.208, P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Sleep disturbance is a serious health concern among asthma patients. This study illuminated the latent mediating mechanism of mindfulness on neuroticism and sleep quality, and implied that intervention and prevention programs on mindfulness might be beneficial in improving sleep quality in asthma patients.

Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life.

In contrast to traditional perspectives of resilience as a stable, trait-like characteristic, resilience is now recognized as a multidimentional, dynamic capacity influenced by life-long interactions between internal and environmental resources. We review psychosocial and neurobiological factors associated with resilience to late-life depression (LLD). Recent research has identified both psychosocial characteristics associated with elevated LLD risk (e.g., insecure attachment, neuroticism) and psychosocial processes that may be useful intervention targets (e.g., self-efficacy, sense of purpose, coping behaviors, social support). Psychobiological factors include a variety of endocrine, genetic, inflammatory, metabolic, neural, and cardiovascular processes that bidirectionally interact to affect risk for LLD onset and course of illness. Several resilience-enhancing intervention modalities show promise for the prevention and treatment of LLD, including cognitive/psychological or mind-body (positive psychology; psychotherapy; heart rate variability biofeedback; meditation), movement-based (aerobic exercise; yoga; tai chi), and biological approaches (pharmacotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy). Additional research is needed to further elucidate psychosocial and biological factors that affect risk and course of LLD. In addition, research to identify psychobiological factors predicting differential treatment response to various interventions will be essential to the development of more individualized and effective approaches to the prevention and treatment of LLD.

Dispositional mindfulness mediates the relations between neuroticism and posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in Chinese adolescents after a tornado.

Previous studies have shown that neuroticism is associated with higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in individuals who have experienced traumatic events. This study investigated dispositional mindfulness as one pathway in which neuroticism is related to PTSD and depression symptoms among Chinese adolescents who have experienced trauma by considering the role of dispositional mindfulness. Participants were 443 Chinese adolescents who had experienced a severe tornado a year prior to this study. The results showed that our model fitted the data well (χ2/df = 2.113, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.981, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.969, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) (90% confidence interval (CI)) = 0.061 [0.047, 0.080]) and revealed that dispositional mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between neuroticism and PTSD and depression symptoms. The clinical implications and limitations of our research and recommendations for future research are discussed in this article.

Conditional effects of mindfulness on sleep quality among clinical nurses: the moderating roles of extraversion and neuroticism.

The present study aimed to examine the potential moderating role of personality traits in the psychological mechanisms by which mindfulness can lead to better sleep quality. A total of 172 oncology nurses participated in this study, and completed self-reported measures, including the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and 44-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-44). Results showed that mindfulness was correlated with the global PSQI score (r = -0.281, p < 0.01).Trait extraversion and neuroticism moderated the mindfulness-sleep relationship. The simple slope analysis indicated that the negative relationship between mindfulness and the global PSQI score was only significant at higher levels of extraversion (ß = -0.419, p < 0.001) and lower levels of neuroticism (ß = -0.344, p = 0.001). Additionally, the Johnson-Neyman technique revealed that, within a specific region (extraversion values above 21.93 and/or neuroticism values below 23.78), mindfulness was significantly associated with the global PSQI score; beyond the value regions, the significant association was lost. It suggests that mindfulness might play a protective role against sleep disturbance only among certain oncology nurses. The findings are valuable for identifying those who are more vulnerable to sleep dysfunction and may aid in targeted intervention planning.

Associations of mindfulness with depressive symptoms and well-being in older adults: the moderating role of neuroticism.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether observed interactions of mindfulness with the personality trait neuroticism extend to older adults and to aspects of psychological functioning other than depressive symptoms, and whether effects of mindfulness training in this population depend on levels of neuroticism. METHOD: We performed a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for community-dwelling older adults. We investigated whether neuroticism moderates associations of dispositional mindfulness with various aspects of psychological and physical functioning at baseline, as well as effects of MBSR on these outcomes. RESULTS: Significant two-way interactions showed that greater mindfulness was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and less negative affect at baseline in individuals with average or higher levels of neuroticism. In contrast, mindfulness was associated with greater positive affect and vitality and fewer physical symptoms regardless of the level of neuroticism. There were no effects of MBSR on these outcomes at any level of neuroticism. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness may be more protective against psychological ill-being in older adults with higher levels of neuroticism, but conducive to positive psychological and physical well-being regardless of this personality trait. The potential moderating role of neuroticism should be further evaluated in studies of mindfulness-based interventions in older adults.

The challenge of pet therapy in systemic sclerosis: evidence for an impact on pain, anxiety, neuroticism and social interaction.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of animal-assisted intervention (AAI), a complementary support to traditional therapies focused on the interaction between animals and human beings, in improving psychological trait, anxiety and pain in a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. METHODS: 42 SSc patients, undergoing iloprost intravenous infusion, were divided in three groups: 1) 14 patients submitted to 20 AAI sessions; 2) 14 patients engaged in alternative social activity (control group 1 - C1); and 3) 14 patients without any alternative activity (control group 2 - C2). All patients underwent Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the State-anxiety (STAI-S) and emotional faces at the beginning (s0) and at the end (s1) of each single session, while General Anxiety State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS), the Toronto Alexythymia Scale (TAS-20), the Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ) were administered at baseline (t0) and at the end of the project (t1). RESULTS: AAI group showed a significant decrease of the anxiety state level in respect to the two control groups (p<0.001). VAS scale resulted lower both in AAI (p < 0.001) and C1 group (p<0.01). Moreover, STAI-T and TAS scores were significantly reduced in AAI group (p<0.001). TCQ scale showed that patients treated with AAI, compared to control group C2, had greater capacity to avoid unpleasant and unwanted thoughts (p<0.05). In AAI group, the EPQ-R test revealed an enhancement of extroversion trait compared to both control groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that AAI significantly reduces pain perception, anxiety, neuroticism and ameliorates patients' social interaction, therefore it may be a useful to allow a better compliance to traditional therapies.

Grief and Avoidant Death Attitudes Combine to Predict the Fading Affect Bias.

The fading affect bias (FAB) occurs when unpleasant affect fades faster than pleasant affect. To detect mechanisms that influence the FAB in the context of death, we measured neuroticism, depression, anxiety, negative religious coping, death attitudes, and complicated grief as potential predictors of FAB for unpleasant/death and pleasant events at 2 points in time. The FAB was robust across older and newer events, which supported the mobilization-minimization hypothesis. Unexpectedly, complicated grief positively predicted FAB, and death avoidant attitudes moderated this relation, such that the Initial Event Affect by Grief interaction was only significant at the highest 3 quintiles of death avoidant attitudes. These results were likely due to moderate grief ratings, which were, along with avoidant death attitudes, related to healthy outcomes in past research. These results implicate complicated grief and death avoidant attitudes as resiliency mechanisms that are mobilized during bereavement to minimize its unpleasant effects.

Insight meditation and telomere biology: The effects of intensive retreat and the moderating role of personality.

A growing body of evidence suggests that meditation training may have a range of salubrious effects, including improved telomere regulation. Telomeres and the enzyme telomerase interact with a variety of molecular components to regulate cell-cycle signaling cascades, and are implicated in pathways linking psychological stress to disease. We investigated the effects of intensive meditation practice on these biomarkers by measuring changes in telomere length (TL), telomerase activity (TA), and telomere-related gene (TRG) expression during a 1-month residential Insight meditation retreat. Multilevel analyses revealed an apparent TL increase in the retreat group, compared to a group of experienced meditators, similarly comprised in age and gender, who were not on retreat. Moreover, personality traits predicted changes in TL, such that retreat participants highest in neuroticism and lowest in agreeableness demonstrated the greatest increases in TL. Changes observed in TRGs further suggest retreat-related improvements in telomere maintenance, including increases in Gar1 and HnRNPA1, which encode proteins that bind telomerase RNA and telomeric DNA. Although no group-level changes were observed in TA, retreat participants' TA levels at post-assessment were inversely related to several indices of retreat engagement and prior meditation experience. Neuroticism also predicted variation in TA across retreat. These findings suggest that meditation training in a retreat setting may have positive effects on telomere regulation, which are moderated by individual differences in personality and meditation experience. (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT03056105).