Mindfulness, self-reported health, and cortisol: A latent profile analysis

Abstract

This study utilized a latent profile analysis approach to examine the relationship between mindfulness profiles and self-reported mental and physical health, as well as salivary cortisol levels in a sample of 85 undergraduate students. Consistent with theory, the Judgmentally Observing (high monitoring, low acceptance) reported poorer mental health and exhibited flatter diurnal cortisol slopes than the Unobservant Accepting (low monitoring, high acceptance) and Average Mindfulness profiles. No differences in self-reported physical health, cortisol response to awakening, or diurnal mean cortisol were observed among the profiles. Future directions are discussed.

Not all mindfulness is equal: certain facets of mindfulness have important implications for well-being and mental health across the lifespan

“…For the most frequently found heterogeneous facet profiles (i.e., non-judgmentally aware and judgmentally observing ), the non-judgmentally aware profile was adaptive and often comparable to the high-mindfulness profile in terms of well-being outcomes, with individuals showing lower depressive and anxiety symptoms ( Pearson et al, 2015 ; Bravo et al, 2016 ; Gu et al, 2020 ; Zhu et al, 2020 ; Bronchain et al, 2021 ). Conversely, those in the judgmentally observing profile had higher levels of depressive and anxious symptoms than the high mindfulness and non-judgmentally aware profiles ( Pearson et al, 2015 ; Bravo et al, 2016 ; Leach et al, 2021 ; De Souza Marcovski and Miller, 2023 ). Yet, the patterns of results for these heterogeneous profiles are not always unequivocal ( Lecuona et al, 2022 ).…”

“…That is, individuals in the high mindfulness profile have significantly greater well-being as measured by a variety of variables such as happiness, anxiety and depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and self-regulation than those in the low mindfulness profile ( Suh et al, 2022 ; Wang et al, 2022 ; De Souza Marcovski and Miller, 2023 ). In studies where a moderate mindfulness profile was found, individuals in the profile generally had intermediate scores on well-being outcomes (e.g., Calvete et al, 2020 ; Gu et al, 2020 ; Zhu et al, 2020 ; Grund et al, 2021 ; Leach et al, 2021 ).…”

Subjective Social Status and Mental Health Outcomes: The Role of Mindfulness

“…Third, the conceptualization of mindfulness in this study was focused on being aware and attentive to the present moment. While scholars generally share this definition of mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, 2015), data indicate that additional components of mindfulness are important to consider (e.g., acceptance; Leach et al, 2020; Lindsay & Creswell, 2017), including in their relationship between indicators of economic marginalization (e.g., income) and psychological well-being (e.g., Sugiura & Sugiura, 2018). Studies examining the implications of the components of mindfulness in the relationship between subjective social status and mental health outcomes would be fruitful.…”