Análises da mediação e moderação do mindfulness sobre medidas de afeto, ansiedade e estresse em adultos jovens saudáveis

Abstract

Contemporary lifestyle has a strong impact on people's health and mental wellbeing, as suggested by current World Health Organization indicators. Such impairment is generally linked to the deregulation of the psychophysiological mechanisms of stress response, given the variety and the frequency of stressful events to which the population is exposed daily. In this context, non-pharmacological interventions to reduce the impact of these agents have been used, including those that integrate the mind and body dimensions, such as mindfulness. This meditative practice, which has been implicated in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, is usually defined in terms of the ability to pay attention to the present moment with openness, acceptance, and kindness, being evaluated as a state or a trait. Thus, the present study aimed to demonstrate, through an exploratory approach, whether a brief practice of mindfulness depends on the trait or state of mindfulness, or both, and interferes with variables that express psychological well-being. Our hypotheses predict that (1) the high level of mindfulness is associated with better psychological well-being; (2) a brief practice of mindfulness reduces the indicators and increases the positive indicators of psychological well-being, and (3) these changes are mediated by practice-induced increase in state mindfulness. A sample consisted of healthy young university students (n = 40; 20 men) and measures associated with anxiety (STAI), affect (PANAS), stress (PSS, plasma cortisol), and mindfulness (state, SMS and trait, FFMQ) were collected. Initially, by means of a cluster analysis (k-means), these individuals were classified as high / low mindfulness trait, in which those with high trait presented lower levels of anxiety state and perceived stress. Additionally, the sample was tested by dividing it into an active control group (AC, n = 20) and a mindfulness training group (MT, n = 20) using a mixed variance analysis (between: group, within: session [before / after intervention]) to investigate the effect of the intervention between and within groups. Only within MT there was a reduction in the anxiety state and perceived stress in addition to an increase in state mindfulness after the practice. Within both groups there was a reduction in negative affect and plasma cortisol levels and no difference was found for positive affect. Moderated mediation analysis showed that the increase in state mindfulness mediated an increase in positive affect and a decrease in perceived stress and cortisol. The mediating effect of state mindfulness in decreasing anxiety state occurs only in individuals with high mindfulness trait. Despite the limitations of the sample size and the exploratory nature of the study, which uses multiple tests for the same dataset, these results suggest that the mindfulness trait is associated with lower stress levels, and that a brief mindfulness-based intervention promotes attenuation of the negative psychophysiological response, and mediate increase in positive affect. These results point to a positive effect of a brief mindfulness practice in a specific group of individuals, and open perspectives for further investigation and its application in different populations.