Skip to main content

Mindfulness and Coping with Dysphoric Mood: Contrasts with Rumination and Distraction

Cognitive Therapy and Research volume 29, pages 501–510 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Past research has shown that rumination exacerbates dysphoric mood whereas distraction attenuates it. This research examined whether the practice of mindfulness meditation could reduce dysphoric mood even more effectively than distraction. A dysphoric mood was induced in 139 female and 38 male participants who were then randomly assigned to a rumination, distraction, or meditation condition. As predicted, participants instructed to meditate reported significantly lower levels of negative mood than those in either of the two other conditions. Distraction was associated with a lessening of dysphoric mood when compared to rumination but was not as effective as mindfulness meditation. The implications of these findings are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Brockner, J., & Hulton, A. J. B. (1978). How to reverse the vicious cycle of low self-esteem: The importance of attentional focus. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 14, 564–578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broderick, P. C. (1998). Early adolescent gender differences in the use of ruminative and distracting coping strategies. Journal of Early Adolescence, 18, 173–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broderick, P. C., & Korteland, C. (2004). A prospective study of rumination and depression in early adolescence. Clinical Child Psychiatry and Psychology, 9, 383–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broderick, P. C., & Korteland, C. (2002). Coping style and depression in early adolescence: Relationships to gender, gender role, and implicit beliefs. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 46, 201–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cacioppo, J. T., & Petty, R. E. (1981). Social psychological procedures for cognitive response assessment: The thought-listing technique. In T. V. Merluzzi, C. R. Glass, & M. Genest (Eds.), Cognitive Assessment (pp. 309–342). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cioffe, D. (1991). Beyond attentional strategies: A cognitive-perceptual model of somatic interpretations. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 25–39.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, R., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 564–570.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eber, R., & Tesser, A. (1992). Task effort and regulation of mood: The absorption hypothesis. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 30, 319–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenigstein, A., Scheier, M., & Buss, A. H. (1975). Public and private self-consciousness: Assessment and theory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 43, 522–527.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goleman, D. (1997). Healing emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on mindfulness, emotions, and health. Boston: Shambala Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, N. A., & Ingram, R. E. (2001). Self-focused attention and coping: Attending to the right things. In C. R. Snyder, (Ed.), Coping with stress: Effective people and processes (pp. 178–195). London: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingram, R. E. (1984). Toward an information-processing analysis of depression. Cognitive Therapy & Research, 8(5), 443–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingram, R. E., & Hollon, S. D. (1986). Cognitive therapy for depression from an information processing perspective. In R. E. Ingram (Ed.), Information processing approaches to clinical psychology (pp. 259–281). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingram, R. E., & Smith, T. S. (1984). Depression and internal versus external locus of attention. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 8, 139–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 144–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (1999). Indra's net at work: The mainstreaming of dharma practice in society. In G. Watson, S. Batchelor, & G. Claxton, (Eds.), The psychology of awakening: Buddhism, science and our day to day lives (pp. 226–249). London: Rider.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linehan, M. (1993). Skills training manual for treating borderline personality disorder. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1995). Effects of self-focused rumination on negative thinking and interpersonal problem solving. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 176– 190.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, M. (1990). On the induction of mood. Clinical Psychology Review, 10, 669–697.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1991). Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 569–582.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1990). Effects of responses to depression on the remediation of depressive affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 519–527.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1987). Sex differences in unipolar depression: Evidence and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 259–282.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Davis, C. G. (1999). “Thanks for sharing that”: Ruminators and their social support networks. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1061–1072.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Morrow, J. (1991). A prospective study of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster: The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 115–121.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Morrow, J., & Fredrickson, B. L. (1993). Response styles and the duration of episodes of depressed moods. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 20–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Papageorgiou, C., & Wells, A. (2004). Nature, functions, and beliefs about depressive rumination. In C. Papgeorgiou & A. Wells, (Eds.), Depressive rumination: Nature, theory and treatment. West Sussex, England: Wiley.

  • Papageorgiou, C., & Wells, A. (1999). Process and metacognitive dimensions of depressive and anxious thoughts and relationships with emotional intensity. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 6, 156–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyszczynski, T., & Greenberg, J. (1987). Self-regulatory perseveration and the depressive Self-focusing style: A self-awareness theory of reactive depression. Psychological Bulletin, 102, 122– 138.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P. (2003). Authentic happiness : Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spasojevic, J., & Alloy, L. B. (2001). Rumination as a common mechanism relating depressive risk factors to depression. Emotion, 1, 25–37.

  • Teasdale, J. D., Moore, R. G., Hayhurst, H., Pope, M., Williams, J. M., & Segal, Z. V. (2002). Metacognitive awareness and prevention of relapse in depression: Empirical evidence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 272–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M., Ridgeway, V. A., Soulsby, J. M., & Lau, M. A. (2000). Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 615–623.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Velten, E. (1968). A laboratory task for the induction of mood states. Behavioral Research and Therapy, 6, 473–482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, E., Teasdale, J. D., & Williams, R. M. (2000). Decentering and distraction reduce overgeneral autobiographical memory in depression. Psychological Medicine, 30, 911–920.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., & Clark, L. A. (1997). Measurement and mismeasurement of mood: Recurrent and emergent issues. Journal of Personality Assessment, 68, 267–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1071.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wegner, D. M. (1994). Ironic Processes of mental control. Psychological Review, 101, 34–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zoellner, L. A., Sacks, M. B., & Foa, E. B. (2003). Directed forgetting following mood induction in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 112, 508–514.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, Pennsylvania

    Patricia C. Broderick

Authors
  1. Patricia C. Broderick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patricia C. Broderick.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Broderick, P.C. Mindfulness and Coping with Dysphoric Mood: Contrasts with Rumination and Distraction. Cogn Ther Res 29, 501–510 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-005-3888-0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-005-3888-0

Key words

  • mindfulness
  • rumination
  • dysphoric mood
  • distraction