A mindful approach to controlling intrusive thoughts

Abstract

Intrusive thoughts of negative experiences can pose a threat to our well-being. To some extent, unwanted memories can be intentionally controlled via an executive control mechanism that downregulates the occurrence of intrusions. Mindfulness training can improve executive control. It is not known whether mindfulness training can be used as an intervention to improve intentional memory control and reduce intrusions. To this end, 148 healthy participants completed a 10-day app-based mindfulness training or an active control task. At baseline, inhibitory control and working memory were assessed as measures of executive functioning. Post-mindfulness training, intrusions were assessed via the Think/No-Think task. It was expected that mindfulness training would reduce intrusions. Furthermore, we hypothesised that this would be moderated by baseline executive functioning. Results revealed that, contrary to our hypothesis, both groups increased equally in dispositional mindfulness between baseline and post-test. As such, our exploratory analysis revealed that higher dispositional mindfulness across both groups resulted in fewer intrusions and enhanced the ability to downregulate intrusions over time. Furthermore, this effect was moderated by inhibitory control at baseline. These results provide insight into factors that can improve the ability to control unwanted memories, which could have considerable implications for treatments in psychopathologies characterized by the frequent occurrence of intrusive thoughts. Protocol registration The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 11th March, 2022. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/U8SJN.

The Index of Intrusion Control (IIC): Capturing individual variability in intentional intrusion control in the laboratory

“…Given that the ratings are subjective, the understanding and interpretation of instructions for how to suppress and report intrusions could greatly influence results. Although beyond the scope of this paper, studies should make their instructions publicly available, including what is read by the participant and what is verbally discussed during practice and the T/NT task itself (e.g., Ashton, Sambeth et al, 2023 , Ashton, Smeets et al, 2023 ; Liu et al, 2020 ). Other design aspects, such as the choice of stimuli, may also influence the ability to suppress.…”

“…We recommend an intrusion response window of 3000 ms to reduce variability in trial length and to keep the interval relatively short. If the participant responds before the end of the response window, then a black screen can be presented for the remainder of the time until the next trial begins (see, e.g., Ashton, Sambeth et al, 2023 ). Presenting a black screen, rather than keeping the intrusion rating on the screen, prevents the participant from continuing to monitor the memory after they have assessed it.…”

The Mediating Role of Social Health in the Relationships Between Depression, Lifestyle, and Control Over Negative Thoughts Among Mothers of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

“…Thus, parents, particularly mothers, can prevent the onset of further issues, including depression, by effectively managing their negative thoughts (12). To this end, five thought control strategies are identified: distraction (intentionally redirecting attention away from a distressing thought towards another), worry (concentrating on and obsessing over a distressing thought), social control (discussing the thought with others), punishment (getting angry at oneself for contemplating the distressing subject), and re-appraisal (reassessing the meaning of the intrusive thought) (13).…”