Mindfulness predicts lower affective volatility among African Americans during smoking cessation.

Abstract

Recent research suggests that mindfulness benefits emotion regulation and smoking cessation. However, the mechanisms by which mindfulness affects emotional and behavioral functioning are unclear. One potential mechanism, lower affective volatility, has not been empirically tested during smoking cessation. This study examined longitudinal associations among mindfulness and emotional responding over the course of smoking cessation treatment among predominantly low-socioeconomic status (SES) African American smokers, who are at high risk for relapse to smoking and tobacco-related health disparities. Participants (N = 399, 51% female, mean age=42, 48% with annual income <$10,000) completed a baseline measure of trait mindfulness. Negative affect, positive affect, and depressive symptoms were assessed at 5 time points during smoking cessation treatment (up to 31 days post-quit). Volatility indices were calculated to quantify within-person instability of emotional symptoms over time. Over and above demographic characteristics, nicotine dependence, and abstinence status, greater baseline trait mindfulness predicted lower volatility of negative affect and depressive symptoms surrounding the quit attempt and up to one month post-quit, ps < 0.05. Although volatility did not mediate the association between greater mindfulness and smoking cessation, these results are the first to show that mindfulness is linked to lower affective volatility (or greater stability) of negative emotions during the course of smoking cessation. The present study suggests that mindfulness is linked to greater emotional stability and augments the study of mindfulness in diverse populations. Future studies should examine the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on volatility and whether lower volatility explains effects of mindfulness-based treatments on smoking cessation.

Mechanisms underlying mindfulness-based addiction treatment versus cognitive behavioral therapy and usual care for smoking cessation.

“…Hill and Updegraff (2012) found that among college students, dispositional mindfulness predicted lower volatility of both negative and positive emotions. Adams et al (2014) found that dispositional mindfulness predicted lower volatility of negative emotions and depressive symptoms among smokers attempting to quit, indicating higher stability in negative (but not positive) emotions. No study, to our knowledge, has examined the effect of mindfulness-based treatment (or CBT) on affective volatility.…”

“…Second, MBAT predicted lower volatility of anger than both CBT and UC. Although no known research has examined the effects of mindfulness treatment on volatility, dispositional mindfulness predicts lower volatility of negative affect (Adams et al, 2014), and mindfulness training shows promise for reducing anger (e.g., Amutio et al, 2014). Mindfulness meditation may promote “metacognitive awareness,” or “decentering,” whereby individuals learn to view thoughts and feelings as mental events rather than facts (Bishop et al, 2004; Teasdale et al, 2002).…”

Efficacy of mindfulness-based addiction treatment (MBAT) for smoking cessation and lapse recovery: A randomized clinical trial.

“…Mindfulness is also thought to moderate the association between negative affect and relapse such that in the face of negative affect, individuals with higher levels of mindfulness should have a lower likelihood of relapse compared to individuals with lower levels of mindfulness (i.e., the linkage between negative affect and relapse is weakened among individuals with higher levels of mindfulness; Roemer & Orsillo, 2003; Teasdale, 1997; Teasdale et al, 2002). Recent research has been supportive of both effects with respect to relations among mindfulness, negative affect, and alcohol problems (i.e., that mindfulness both reduces negative affect and reduces the strength of the association between negative affect and alcohol problems; Adams et al, 2014). Neurological studies also provide support that mindfulness training reduces both the severity of negative emotions and reactivity to those emotions (Brown, Goodman, & Inzlicht, 2012; Farb, Anderson, & Segal, 2012; Goldin & Gross, 2010; van den Hurk, Janssen, Giommi, Barendregt, & Gielen, 2010).…”

Mindful moments: A review of brief, low‐intensity mindfulness meditation and induced mindful states

“…For example, dispositional mindfulness predicts less instability in emotional states over the course of a week, as well as greater emotional differentiation and fewer difficulties in emotion regulation (Hill & Updegraff, 2012). Similarly, high levels of facets of mindfulness predict lower affective volatility (Adams et al, 2014). Although some empirical reviews exist about the robust nature of the relationship between mindfulness and emotion regulation (e.g., Heppner, Spears Adams, Vidrine, & Wetter, 2015;Teper, Segal, & Inzlicht, 2013), in line with the broader mindfulness literature, these reviews tend to focus more on research with trait mindfulness or intensive mindfulness training programs.…”