Relationship between early-life stress and trait mindfulness in adulthood: a correlational study

Abstract

Background To investigate the relationship between early-life stress (ELS) and the trait mindfulness level in workers. Method This study is quantitative cross-sectional and correlational research with a sample of 929 workers from a Brazilian public university. ELS and mindfulness assessment was performed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-BR (FFMQ-BR), respectively. The data were submitted to correlation tests adopting a significance level of .05 and a multivariate linear regression analysis. Results 50.0% of the participants obtained a score indicative of ELS exposure in at least one subtype among the five proposed by the CTQ, with emotional neglect predominating (63.0%). The group not exposed to emotional abuse had higher scores in the “describe—positive formulation” and “non-reactivity to inner experience” facets. Those that scored for physical abuse had higher values in “acting with awareness—autopilot”. However, the group exposed to sexual abuse obtained the highest score in the “acting with awareness—autopilot” and “acting with awareness—distraction” facets. The correlation between FFMQ-BR and CTQ overall scores showed a weak correlation with statistical significance. The multiple linear revealed that the facets of mindfulness were significantly associated by at least one type of early stress; however, no significant association was found between CTQ and FFMQ-BR overall results. Conclusion The results showed that emotional regulation might have effectively occurred in this specific population, even with the presence of some childhood trauma.

Trauma, early life stress, and mindfulness in adulthood

“…That study will be reviewed in a subsequent section below. The authors in this recent study [ 1 ] conducted a cross-sectional correlational design from a Brazilian public university and most of the findings corroborate prior research on ELS and mindfulness. That is, those who experienced less ELS tended to score higher in various facets of mindfulness, at least as it was measured by the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ).…”

“…A recent study [ 1 ] set out to explore the link between early life stress (ELS) and trait mindfulness in adulthood. Trait mindfulness was defined as: “the awareness that emerges through deliberate attention in the present moment, with intention, without judgment, making the most of the current experience” [1 p. 2].…”

“…However, the researchers found some forms of ELS may help cultivate certain aspects of mindfulness in adulthood. Specifically, participants in their study who experienced more emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and physical abuse scored higher in the subscale of “non-reactivity to inner experience” and those who experienced more emotional abuse, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and physical abuse scored higher in “acting with awareness,” though those correlations were modest [ 1 ]. The non-reactivity facet of this assessment tool is believed to measure one’s ability to notice internal sensations and emotions and mindfully process those and let them pass without overreacting or being overrun by them.…”

“…The “acting with awareness” is believed to measure engagement and awareness of the present moment rather than being distracted or on autopilot. This type of awareness and non-reaction or non-judgment of inner experiences are central facets to the mindfulness literature and are critical for emotional regulation and psychological well-being [ 1 , 5 – 7 ]. This novel finding is provocative especially when compared to prior studies investigating ELS or trauma which have been consistently linked to emotional dysregulation and a host of psychopathologies in adulthood.…”

“…This novel finding is provocative especially when compared to prior studies investigating ELS or trauma which have been consistently linked to emotional dysregulation and a host of psychopathologies in adulthood. The authors suggest that this specific population may have learned to cultivate emotional regulation even in the presence of childhood trauma [ 1 ].…”