The Relation between Trait Mindfulness and Early Maladaptive Schemas in Men Seeking Substance Use Treatment

Abstract

Recent research has examined the relation between mindfulness and substance use, demonstrating that lower trait mindfulness is associated with increased substance use, and that mindfulness-based interventions help to reduce substance use. Research has also demonstrated that early maladaptive schemas are prevalent among individuals seeking substance use treatment and that targeting early maladaptive schemas in treatment may improve outcomes. However, no known research has examined the relation between mindfulness and early maladaptive schemas despite theoretical and empirical reasons to suspect their association. Therefore, the current study examined the relation between trait mindfulness and early maladaptive schemas among adult men seeking residential substance abuse treatment (N = 82). Findings demonstrated strong negative associations between trait mindfulness and 15 of the 18 early maladaptive schemas. Moreover, men endorsing multiple early maladaptive schemas reported lower trait mindfulness than men with fewer early maladaptive schemas. The implications of these findings for future research and treatment are discussed.

Trait mindfulness and early maladaptive schemas in women seeking residential substance use treatment: A preliminary investigation

“…Consistent with research on men seeking substance use treatment (Shorey et al, in press), findings demonstrated that 12 out of 18 EMS were negatively associated with trait mindfulness. It is interesting to note that the two strongest relations between EMS and trait mindfulness were with the EMS of unrelenting standards and insufficient self-control.…”

“…Shorey et al, in press), it is possible that an underlying deficit common to EMS is the inability to remain present focused, non-judgmental, and accepting of experiences. Indeed, this would be supported by the high levels of avoidance coping seen among individuals with EMS, including substance use treatment seekers (Brotchie, Hanes, Wendon, & Waller, 2007).…”

“…Shorey, Brasfield, Anderson, and Stuart (in press) demonstrated that trait mindfulness was negatively associated with 15 of the 18 EMS among men seeking substance use treatment. Moreover, men who endorsed multiple EMS had lower trait mindfulness than men endorsing fewer EMS.…”

“…Thus, there are empirical reasons to suspect an association between trait mindfulness and EMS. However, it is important for research to replicate the findings of Shorey et al (in press) in women seeking substance use treatment since women report higher levels of EMS in substance use treatment (Shorey et al, 2012) and enter substance use treatment with more mental health problems than men (Foster et al, 2000). …”

Elucidating the Association Between Trait Mindfulness and Alcohol Use Behaviors Among College Students

“…Indeed, trait mindfulness is negatively associated with alcohol use in both college student populations (Bramm et al, 2013; Christopher et al, 2012) and clinical populations (Bowen and Enkema, 2014; Garland et al, 2012). However, this association is inconsistent across studies (Brooks et al, 2012; Eisenlohr-Moul et al, 2012; Shorey et al, 2014), likely due to the varied conceptualizations and measurements of trait mindfulness across studies.…”