Elsevier

Behavior Therapy

Volume 47, Issue 3, May 2016, Pages 287-298
Behavior Therapy

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Neuroticism (Stress Vulnerability): A Pilot Randomized Study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2015.12.005Get rights and content

Highlights

  • A new MBCT intervention for neuroticism versus online general self-help is examined

  • Compared with self-help, MBCT results in significantly lower levels of neuroticism

  • Rumination and self-compassion improved more in the MBCT group than the control group

  • MBCT is an acceptable and feasible intervention for neuroticism

  • Neuroticism may be amenable to change through psychological intervention

Abstract

Objective: Neuroticism, a characteristic associated with increased stress vulnerability and the tendency to experience distress, is strongly linked to risk of different forms of psychopathology. However, there are few evidence-based interventions to target neuroticism. This pilot study investigated the efficacy and acceptability of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) compared with an online self-help intervention for individuals with high levels of neuroticism. The MBCT was modified to address psychological processes that are characteristic of neuroticism. Method: Participants with high levels of neuroticism were randomized to MBCT (n = 17) or an online self-help intervention (n = 17). Self-report questionnaires were administered preintervention and again at 4 weeks postintervention. Results: Intention-to-treat analyses found that MBCT participants had significantly lower levels of neuroticism postintervention than the control group. Compared with the control group, the MBCT group also experienced significant reductions in rumination and increases in self-compassion and decentering, of which the latter two were correlated with reductions in neuroticism within the MBCT group. Low drop-out rates, high levels of adherence to home practice, and positive feedback from MBCT participants provide indications that this intervention may be an acceptable form of treatment for individuals who are vulnerable to becoming easily stressed. Conclusions: MBCT specifically modified to target neuroticism-related processes is a promising intervention for reducing neuroticism. Results support evidence suggesting neuroticism is malleable and amenable to psychological intervention. MBCT for neuroticism warrants further investigation in a larger study.

Section snippets

Current Study and Hypotheses

In summary, neuroticism is associated with elevated levels of cognitive processes such as rumination, which are linked to common mental health problems and lower levels of protective attributes such as mindfulness and self-compassion. Despite this, no interventions that focus on reducing neuroticism have been investigated, either through a specifically targeted intervention or by recruiting participants on the basis of their level of neuroticism. However, targeting these processes with a novel

Design

A pilot RCT was conducted, with participants (N = 34) randomized to an 8-week MBCT course (n = 17), or to an online self-help course (n = 17). Acceptability of the interventions was assessed through engagement, dropout, and rated usefulness of the interventions. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline (T1) and 4 weeks (T2) following the end of the interventions using online questionnaires. As this was a pilot acceptability and feasibility study designed to inform future research hypotheses, a

Internal Consistency of All Measures

The majority of measures displayed good internal consistency at Time 1: WSAS, α = .70; PHQ-9, α = .854; GAD-7, α = .86; FFMQ, α = .68; SCS, α = .70; BAES, α = .88; RRQ, α = .82; and EQ, α = 0.63. Cronbach’s alpha for the EPQR-S at Time 1 was .61, which may be explained by the fact that participants were selected based on high scores on this measure. Time 2 data indicate α = .86. Test–retest reliability analysis demonstrates a high correlation between the EPQR-S administered at screening and at Time 1, 2 weeks

Discussion

The MBCT group had lower levels of neuroticism than the control participants at 4 weeks posttreatment, after adjusting for baseline levels. This is consistent with previous research that has demonstrated decreases in neuroticism in depressed participants receiving SSRI treatment (Tang et al., 2009) or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (Berlim et al., 2013), and nonsignificant reductions in behavioral inhibition after psychological treatment in people with anxiety disorders (Carl et

Limitations

Limitations of the current study should be considered; as a pilot study, the small sample size limits the generalizability of the findings and statistical power. Most of the participants were women, White and either working or studying at a university, and as such represent a highly selective sample; it cannot be assumed that these results would generalize to other populations. Further, participants were staff and students at the same institution as the researchers. This might have resulted in

Conclusion

In conclusion, MBCT is a promising and acceptable intervention for individuals with high levels of neuroticism. Heeding calls to target the underlying cause of common mental disorders rather than just the associated symptomatology, the current study suggests that this type of intervention may be feasible and efficacious. Although the current study investigated MBCT as an intervention for reducing neuroticism, the findings also offer implications for the prevention of future clinical

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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  • Cited by (0)

    We are grateful to the participants for their help with this research and to Laura Green for her assistance with the mindfulness group. There was no source of funding for this study.

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