Association between decentering and reductions in relapse/recurrence in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression in adults: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: "Decentering" is defined as the ability to observe one's thoughts and feelings as temporary, objective events in the mind (Safran & Segal, 1990), and is increasingly regarded as a candidate mechanism in mindfulness-based interventions. The present study sought to examine the role of decentering, and other related variables, in the efficacy of Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as compared to two active comparison conditions. METHOD: Formerly depressed individuals (N = 227), randomly assigned to MBCT (n = 74), relaxation group therapy (RGT; n = 77) or Treatment as usual (TAU; n = 76), completed self-report measures of decentering and symptoms of depression at pre-, mid-, and posttreatment, and relapse was assessed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, posttreatment. RESULTS: With regard to the acute treatment phase, results indicated that, whereas levels of depression increased in both RGT and TAU, MBCT patients remained free from symptom gains. Moreover, gains in decentering from mid- to posttreatment predicted reductions in depression from pre- to posttreatment for MBCT and TAU, but not for RGT. Participants who experienced increases in decentering, measured from mid- to posttreatment, generally evidenced the lowest levels of relapse/recurrence (during the four follow-up assessments), largely irrespective of treatment group. However, results related to change in decentering should be considered exploratory due to small cell sizes among participants who did not experience gains in decentering. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results suggest that decentering is a potent mechanism for reduction of relapse in major depression, albeit one that is nonspecific to MBCT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A comparison of decentering across demographic groups and meditation experience: Support for the measurement invariance of the Experiences Questionnaire.

Theory and prior research suggests that decentering-an objective, distanced perspective on one's internal experiences-may vary based upon characteristics such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and meditation experience. However, little is known about whether decentering measures are comparable in their meaning and interpretation when administered to individuals with different group membership (e.g., men or women; younger or older adults, etc.). The current study examined the measurement invariance of the Experiences Questionnaire (Fresco et al., 2007), a commonly used measure of decentering, evaluating age, gender, race/ethnicity, and meditation experience in three samples (students, community members, and clinical participants). Each sample was tested separately to assess the generalizability of results. The Experiences Questionnaire demonstrated full or partial measurement invariance in all cases, suggesting that scores are not biased based upon group membership and may be compared across individuals who vary in age, race/ethnicity, gender, and meditation experience. The current study also examined mean differences in decentering by groups, finding some evidence that decentering scores are higher for men, racial/ethnic minorities, older adults, and individuals with more meditation experiences. Implications are discussed for assessing decentering in diverse samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Examination of the factor structure and concurrent validity of the Langer Mindfulness/Mindlessness Scale.

Langer's theory of mindfulness proposes that a mindful person seeks out and produces novelty, is attentive to context, and is flexible in thought and behavior. In three independent studies, the factor structure of the Langer Mindfulness/Mindlessness Scale was examined. Confirmatory factor analysis failed to replicate the four-factor model and a subsequent exploratory factor analysis revealed the presence of a two-factor (mindfulness and mindlessness) solution. Study 2 demonstrated that the two factors assessed discrete constructs and were not merely products of acquiescence. Support was also found for a nine-item, one-factor model comprised solely of mindfulness items. On comparing models, Study 3 suggested the superiority of the one-factor mindfulness model. Finally, a preliminary investigation of the concurrent validity of the revised nine-item Langer Mindfulness/Mindlessness Scale is presented. The current article offers researchers a revised version of a mindfulness measure derived from a cognitive perspective.