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Mechanisms of mindfulness: Evaluating theories and proposing a model

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thesis
posted on 2021-11-14, 04:26 authored by White, Naomi

Clinical interest in mindfulness theories and interventions for the treatment of psychological problems such as anxiety and mood disorders has increased dramatically over the last decade. Alongside this interest relatively little attention has been paid to the hypothesised mechanisms of mindfulness that result in a mindfulness state; practice has outstripped the development of a coherent model of the mechanisms. The Decontextualising Model of Mindfulness (DMM) is proposed here to address this gap. The DMM suggests that mindfulness techniques operate to decontextualise mental events from their web of hierarchically organised levels of abstraction and associated meaning, which opens up the cognitive “space” to introduce more adaptive strategies. The DMM is evaluated in terms of its ability to explain existing theories, cognitive-behaviour therapy, and accepted mechanisms of change in psychotherapy. The DMM aims to stimulate deeper understanding of how mindfulness works so that (1) Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) are more equipped to induce mindfulness states; (2) the origins of psychopathology may be better understood and therefore more effectively treated; and (3) the causes of psychological well-being may be made more clear and therefore more readily enhanced. The research and theoretical literature as well as the current investigation indicate that in particular self-identity and self-compassion are two areas that warrant further investigation.

History

Copyright Date

2014-01-01

Date of Award

2014-01-01

Publisher

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Rights License

Author Retains Copyright

Degree Discipline

Psychology

Degree Grantor

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Degree Level

Masters

Degree Name

Master of Science

ANZSRC Type Of Activity code

970117 Expanding Knowledge in Psychology and the Cognitive sciences

Victoria University of Wellington Item Type

Awarded Research Masters Thesis

Language

en_NZ

Victoria University of Wellington School

School of Psychology

Advisors

Ward, Tony