Deconstructing Mindfulness and Constructing Mental Health: Understanding Mindfulness and its Mechanisms of Action

Research on mindfulness indicates that it is associated with improved mental health, but the use of multiple different definitions
of mindfulness prevents a clear understanding of the construct. In particular, the boundaries between different conceptualizations
of mindfulness and emotion regulation are unclear. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which any of these conceptualizations of
mindfulness might influence mental health are not well-understood. The two studies presented here addressed these questions
using correlational, self-report data from a non-clinical sample of undergraduate students. The first study used a combination
of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to better understand the factor structure of mindfulness and emotion regulation
measures. Results indicated that these measures assess heterogeneous and overlapping constructs, and may be most accurately
thought of as measuring four factors: present-centered attention, acceptance of experience, clarity about one’s internal experience,
and the ability to manage negative emotions. A path analysis supported the hypothesis that mindfulness (defined by a two-factor
construct including present-centered attention and acceptance of experience) contributed to clarity about one’s experience,
which improved the ability to manage negative emotions. The second study developed these findings by exploring the mediating
roles of clarity about one’s internal life, the ability to manage negative emotions, non-attachment (or the extent to which
one’s happiness is independent of specific outcomes and events), and rumination in the relationship between mindfulness and
two aspects of mental health, psychological distress and flourishing mental health. Results confirmed the importance of these
mediators in the relationship between mindfulness and mental health.