1,721,105 research outputs found
Mindfulness-Oriented Professional Resilience (MOPR) Training to Reduce Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare Workers: A Pilot Study
Full text linkBackground/Objectives: Compassion Fatigue (CF) is a critical issue among healthcare professionals, exacerbated by exposure to trauma and chronic workplace stress. This pilot study evaluates the effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Oriented Professional Resilience (MOPR) program, a structured intervention designed to mitigate CF and enhance resilience in healthcare professionals. The program integrates mindfulness practices, arousal modulation techniques, and resilience-building strategies over six weekly sessions. Methods: A sample of 73 healthcare workers (mean age 48.6, SD = 9.42) participated in the study, and pre–post data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Results indicated significant improvements in professional quality of life, with increased Compassion Satisfaction (p < 0.001) and reductions in Burnout (p = 0.003) and Secondary Traumatic Stress (p < 0.001). Mindfulness skills improved significantly across four dimensions—Observing, Describing, Acting with Awareness, and Non-reactivity—with p-values ranging from <0.01 to <0.001. Arousal modulation showed increased Optimal Arousal Zone scores (p < 0.001) and reduced maladaptive stress responses, including Fight/Flight, Freeze, and Feigned Death (p < 0.05). Psychological well-being improvements were observed, particularly in Self-Acceptance (p = 0.014) and Positive Relations (p = 0.041). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the MOPR program is a promising intervention for healthcare professionals, supporting resilience and reducing the psychological burden of caregiving. Future controlled studies should explore its long-term efficacy in diverse clinical settings and in larger samples
Improving personality/character traits in individuals with alcohol dependence: The influence of mindfulness-oriented meditation
No full textThe study of personality is critical to enhance our knowledge of the psychological characteristics of alcohol dependence (AD). Recent evidence shows that mindfulness-oriented meditation (MOM) positively influences healthy individuals' character. Here we assessed whether 8-week MOM promotes similar changes in a group of alcohol-dependent individuals. A control group with AD was also tested. MOM participants showed an increase in the character scores of the Temperament and Character Inventory together with reduced risks of relapse. These longitudinal data highlight the importance of assessing personality in alcohol-dependent individuals and support the utility of therapeutic interventions for AD aimed at enhancing individuals' character
The Arousal Modulation Model Questionnaire (AMMQ): Development, validation, and transdiagnostic applications
No full textTrauma emerges as a significant etiological factor associated with a wide range of psychopathologies, including anxiety, mood disorders, impulse dysregulation, psychosis, substance dependence, personality disorders, conduct issues, and suicidal behavior. Furthermore, trauma plays a central role in somatoform and alexithymic disorders, eating disorders, and self-injurious behaviors. Additionally, trauma is linked to the development of various physical health conditions such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and inflammatory diseases, as well as cancer. Thus, the negative health consequences of trauma extend beyond PTSD and often manifest in personalized, polysymptomatic, and polysyndromic ways, suggesting the utility of adopting transdiagnostic approaches. This study focuses on validating the Arousal Modulation Model Questionnaire (AMMQ), grounded in Ogden and Minton's Arousal Modulation Model originating from Siegel's concept of the Window of Tolerance. The validation process encompasses multiple facets of questionnaire validation, including construct validity, reliability, and other psychometric properties. Participants included a sample of 304 individuals recruited for this study, with a mean age of 39.36 years (SD = 12.88). Although participants may have experienced one or more traumatic events in their lives, they were currently not under the care of the National Health Service Psychiatry Centers. Construct validity of the AMMQ was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Initial exploratory factor analysis revealed a coherent factor structure consistent with theoretical expectations derived from the Arousal Modulation Model, yielding four distinct factors: "Optimal Arousal Zone" (OAZ, 7 items), "Fight/Flight" (FF, 4 items), Freeze (Fr, 6 items), and "Feigned Death" (FD, 5 items). Subsequent confirmatory factor analysis supported this structure, demonstrating excellent model fit (χ2(203) = 381.738, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.05; SRMR = 0.05). Internal consistency was high, with a mean categorical omega (ω) of 0.83 across all subscales, supporting the reliability of the AMMQ. Convergent validity was assessed by examining the associations between each AMMQ subscale and a set of established external measures. The Optimal Arousal Zone (OAZ) subscale showed strong positive correlations with all dimensions of psychological well-being (PWB-SF) and negative correlations with emotional distress (DASS-21), dissociation (DES-II). Conversely, all three dysregulation subscales—Fight-or-Flight (FF), Freeze (Fr), and Feigned Death (FD)—were positively associated with anxiety, depression, stress, and dissociation, as well as with increased autonomic reactivity measured by the BPQ-22 (all p < 0.001). The AMMQ test-retest reliability was also good (0.83). Overall, the validation results suggest that the Arousal Modulation Model Questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing arousal modulation processes within the context of stress reactivity. Its good psychometric properties make it a valuable tool for clinicians and researchers working in trauma-informed assessment and intervention. Finally, robust correlations between all AMMQ factors and the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) scales (all p < 0.001) bolster its efficacy for transdiagnostic screening in psychotherapy, clinical research, and various psychological well-being interventions (e.g., mindfulness-based approaches)
Mindfulness Through Storytelling for Mental Health of Primary School Children: Impact on Acceptability and Its Associations with Personality
Full text linkPurpose: Acceptability of mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) in primary school settings seems to represent a critical factor influencing the intervention effects on children’s mental health. This study aims at assessing the acceptability of an MBP delivered through the technique of storytelling, as well as identifying which participants’ personality characteristics can influence it. Participants and Methods: Italian children in grades 3-to-5 (n = 147, 47.6% girls) participated in a 24-session MBP, which included 225 minutes of formal mindfulness practices and was delivered by the pupils’ school teachers. Children’s personality traits were assessed with the junior Temperament and Character Inventory (jTCI), while their subjective experiences and acceptability of the program were investigated using a survey containing open-ended and closed-ended questions. Results: Program acceptability was 2.9 ± 0.7 on a 0–4 scale. Higher jTCI scores of persistence, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence were related to higher ratings in liking the program, finding it useful and engaging themselves in it. Moreover, 57.8% of the children generalized the mindfulness practices in daily life and 93.9% of them declared they would recommend the program to their friends/parents. Five main themes emerged from children’s answers on what they learned: “help for difficulties (emotional, mental, and physical)”, “calm, relax, tranquility”, “resilience, positiveness, personal growth”, “self-exploration, interoception”, and “attention, concentration, and here-and-now”. Conclusion: Program acceptability was generally higher than in similar programs in the literature, and children reported personal gains in various areas related to psychological well-being. The study also suggests which children’s personality traits should be considered when proposing an MBP in order to improve its acceptability and utility
Follow-up study on the reduction of burnout levels through mindfulness meditation in health care professionals
No full textGli interventi con la meditazione mindfulness realizzati attraverso corsi di 8 settimane si sono dimostrati utili per la riduzione dei livelli di burnout legato allo stress lavorativo. Nella maggior parte della letteratura questi effetti positivi sono stati stimati con valutazioni fatte immediatamente prima e subito dopo gli interventi terapeutici. Poco si sa, invece, delle traiettorie sintomatologiche del burnout nei mesi successivi a questo tipo di interventi. Il nostro studio esplorativo ha preso in esame un gruppo di professionisti (n=19) dell’area socio-sanitaria con problematiche legate alla sindrome di burnout, valutando tramite questionari psicometrici gli effetti di un intervento standard di 8 settimane con la meditazione mindfulness; su alcuni di questi soggetti (n=8), che hanno continuato a meditare dopo il corso, è stato eseguito anche un follow-up a distanza di 9 mesi dalla seconda valutazione. Inoltre, un altro gruppo di professionisti (n=9) della stessa categoria, ma che non hanno meditato durante questa ricerca, è stato utilizzato come gruppo di controllo. La valutazione ha riguardato burnout, abilità mindfulness e soddisfazione organizzativa. Dall’analisi dei dati è emerso che gli effetti di riduzione dei livelli di burnout non sono stati avvertiti al termine delle 8 settimane del corso, quanto invece nel lungo periodo oggetto del follow-up. Ciò indica da un lato la possibilità di ottenere risultati con la meditazione mindfulness anche in soggetti che non rispondono alla terapia secondo le tempistiche normali, dall’altro l’importanza di monitorare il processo di guarigione
Temperament and Character Moderate the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Psychological and Professional Well-Being of School Teachers
Full text linkObjectives: The study aimed to investigate the pre-to-post effects of mindfulness training on school teachers’ psychological and professional well-being, as well as to explore the moderating role of temperament and character on these effects. Method: An 8-week mindfulness-based intervention was delivered via internet-based group meetings to Italian teachers (n = 139), who were assessed within two weeks before and after the intervention with self-report measures of emotional distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), interoceptive awareness (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness), and professional efficacy (Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale), as well as with the Temperament and Character Inventory. A control group of teachers (n = 47) was tested with the same measures in two temporally-matched sessions. Results: Analysis of variance showed positive intervention effects on anxiety (medium effect size), on six of the eight dimensions of interoceptive awareness (medium-to-large effect size) and on two of the three scales of professional efficacy (small-to-medium effect size). Moderation analysis identified the following effects of temperament and character on outcomes: (1) reduced anxiety only for higher baseline reward dependence, or lower-to-middle baseline self-directedness; (2) improved interoceptive attention regulation specifically for middle-to-higher baseline persistence; (3) improved teacher efficacy for student engagement only for lower baseline self-transcendence. Conclusions: The study shows the positive effects of mindfulness training on teachers' psychological and professional well-being. It also highlights the importance of considering the impact of temperament and character dimensions on these effects, for example for developing effective mindfulness-based interventions for teachers. Future research should explore potential mechanisms of action underlying the observed effects and evaluate them in the long term. Preregistration: This study is not preregistered
Mindfulness meditation leads to increased dispositional mindfulness and interoceptive awareness linked to a reduced dissociative tendency
No full textDissociation is an involuntary defensive mechanism to protect oneself by avoiding unbearable internal conflicts or overwhelming emotions. Cultivating mindful awareness could allow the development of voluntary processes that can offer part of the self-protective function of dissociation while favoring internal integration processes. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of a 7-week Mindfulness Oriented Meditation (MOM) training on healthy individuals’ self-reported dissociative experience, mindfulness skills and interoceptive awareness. After the training, in comparison to a waiting-list control group (N = 102), the MOM group (N = 110) showed reduced dissociative tendencies (p <.05), increased dispositional mindfulness (p < .001) and increased interoceptive awareness (in the aspects of not-worrying, self-regulation and body listening; p < .001). Moreover, correlational evidence showed that the more MOM participants increased in mindfulness skills after the training the more they reported increased interoceptive awareness and decreased dissociative functioning (p < .05). Mindfulness skills also improved with more home meditation practice executed by MOM participants (p < .05). These findings were attributed to a possible role of mindfulness meditation in enabling the development of volitional processes that afford psychological safety and integration, in contrast with the involuntary nature of dissociation
Training for Mindfulness Teachers: Benefits for Mindfulness, Well-being, and Emotion Regulation
Full text linkObjectives: This study examined the effects of a 9-month mindfulness teacher training (MTT) program on mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, and psychological well-being among future mindfulness instructors, compared to a control group. Method: Eighty-seven mindfulness instructors-in-training participated in the MTT program. The control group consisted of age- and gender-matched individuals. Mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, and psychological well-being were assessed at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention using validated measures. Results: In comparison with the control group, participants in the MTT group showed significant improvements in most facets of mindfulness (i.e., observe, describe, non-react, and act with awareness). They also reported decreased rumination, as well as increased personal growth and purpose in life compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in other dimensions of emotion regulation or psychological well-being. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that mindfulness teacher trainings positively affect mindfulness skills, as well as specific aspects of psychological well-being (personal growth and purpose in life), and emotion regulation (rumination). Future research should investigate the long-term effects of these trainings and how instructors’ well-being relates to their teaching effectiveness. Preregistration: This study is not preregistered
A multilevel approach to explore the wandering mind and its connections with mindfulness and personality
Full text linkWe propose an innovative approach to study Mind Wandering (MW), and we present an application of this methodology to study the effects of a Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation (MOM) training. We assessed individuals’ MW through a free association task and an attentional task with thought-probes combined with a questionnaire for the phenomenological characteristic of each MW episode. We used the Temperament and Character Inventory to assess participants’ personality traits and their associations with measures of MW. Our study was limited by the course of the Covid-19 pandemic and only nine healthy young individuals completed the testing sessions, which were carried out before and after the MOM training. After MOM, participants showed fewer repetitive and self-relevant thoughts and indices of better performance in the attentional task; the linguistic analysis of participants’ free associations showed lower verbal productivity and a decrease in utterances that expressed anxiety/stress. Overall, we foresee that future studies could replicate our preliminary findings with larger samples and in a period without a global health emergency. This multilevel approach to the study of MW may allow researchers to gain a broader view of the phenomenon, considering its occurrence, qualitative characteristics, impact on cognitive tasks, malleability via mindfulness or other psychological interventions, and relations with personality traits
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