Mindfulness as a Moderator in the Relation Among Core Belief Disruption, Rumination, Posttraumatic Symptoms, and Growth

In the present study, we tested moderated mediation models where the moderator role of mindfulness and its subscales has an indirect effect of core belief disruption (CBD) on posttraumatic symptoms (PTS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) through intrusive (IR) and deliberate (DR) ruminations.

Two hundred forty-six individuals, ages ranging between 19 and 77, with traumatic experiences participated in the study. The data were collected by Traumatic Experience Screening List, Core Beliefs Inventory (CBI), Impact of Event Scale-Revised Form (IES-R), Event-Related Rumination Inventory, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ).

The moderator role of mindfulness was supported both for PTS and PTG. The analysis indicated that the indirect effect of CBD on PTS only through IR was moderated by mindfulness total score (MF-T) and nonreactivity (NR) subscales. The analysis revealed that the MF-T × IR interaction effect was statistically significant. The interaction effect was significant for only low and medium levels of MF-T. When the model was analyzed for PTG, it was observed that the indirect effect of CBD on PTG through IR and DR was moderated significantly only for describing (DES) subscale of mindfulness. In addition, the DES × IR interaction effect was significant only for medium and higher levels of DES. It was also observed that the DES × DR interaction effect was significant only for medium and high levels of DES.

Mindfulness and its components should be taken into consideration when assessing posttraumatic symptoms and growth.