Acceptance, mindfulness, and cognitive reappraisal as longitudinal predictors of depression and quality of life in educators

What happens after five years?: The long-term effects of a four-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy delivered by student therapists for depressive symptoms

“…These results support earlier findings from cross-sectional and longitudinal research (Alleva et al, 2014;Barnes & Lynn, 2010;Barnhofer et al, 2011;Bohlmeijer et al, 2011b;Christopher et al, 2012). The findings for observing suggest that other factors may influence whether mere observing and present-centered being become a liability or a strength, as proposed by Long and Hayes (2014). The importance of the accepting without judgment subscale and treatment-related changes in it was shown by the results, as it was significantly and positively associated with both the treatment-related and five-year changes in depressive symptoms.…”

“…However, the ability to observe and be present has a different relationship with psychological measures among meditators, and Baer et al (2008) proposed that practicing meditation might enhance other skills such as the non-evaluativeness and nonreactivity needed to counteract the possible negative effects of mere observing. Similar findings were reported with education employees: presentcenteredness may present itself either as a strength or a weakness depending of the level of acceptance and openness (Long & Hayes, 2014). Non-judgmental acceptance and mindful actions have been associated with lower levels of depression in various studies (Alleva, Roelofs, Voncken, Meevissen, & Alberts, 2014;Barnhofer, Duggan, & Griffith, 2011;Christopher et al, 2012;Desrosiers, Klemanski, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2013).…”

“…Long and Hayes (2014) found that whereas ACT and CT process measures were both predictive of depressive symptoms at both 2-and 4-month follow-ups after controlling for pre-measurement depression, psychological flexibility and present-centered awareness made independent contributions to depressive symptoms, while thought believability did not. Psychological flexibility also moderated awareness, suggesting that an open and accepting attitude toward experiences influences whether awareness is an asset or a drawback (Long & Hayes, 2014). Also, higher baseline levels of acceptance (measured with the AAQ) predicted better mental health and work performance one year later, and also increased the relationship between higher levels of job control at baseline and better mental health and work performance one year later (Bond & Bunce, 2003).…”

“…Psychological inflexibility was also higher with college students reporting current or lifetime history of depressive and anxiety symptomatology, and it was also associated with depression/anxiety comorbidity (Levin et al, 2014). Long and Hayes (2014) found that whereas ACT and CT process measures were both predictive of depressive symptoms at both 2-and 4-month follow-ups after controlling for pre-measurement depression, psychological flexibility and present-centered awareness made independent contributions to depressive symptoms, while thought believability did not. Psychological flexibility also moderated awareness, suggesting that an open and accepting attitude toward experiences influences whether awareness is an asset or a drawback (Long & Hayes, 2014).…”

“…They also suggested the presence of a moderating factor due to inconsistencies in the relationship between observing and depressive symptoms (Desrosiers et al, 2014). Long and Hayes (2014) found that life quality was not associated solely with present-moment awareness, or acceptance, but the combination of both, and that acceptance influences whether present-moment awareness becomes a strength or a weakness. In the field of mindfulness research, the Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT; Lindsay & Creswell, 2017) attempts to incorporate both the attention side of monitoring momentary experience and the attitude side of an accepting stance toward such present-moment experiences.…”