Does mindfulness improve one’s affective state? Temporal associations between trait mindfulness and positive and negative affect

Although cross-sectional and daily diary studies have noted associations among trait mindfulness and positive and negative affect, lacking are studies that longitudinally examine these relationships over a period of months. We tested whether trait mindfulness (assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Measure) predicted an increase in positive affect and a decrease in negative affect across 3 months. A sample of 319 community adults completed self-report measures of mindfulness, positive affect, and negative affect at three times of measurement separated by three months each. As hypothesised, overall mindfulness, tested with a random intercepts cross-lag path model, predicted over three months a decrease in negative affect, but, contrary to predictions, did not predict an increase in positive affect. In the reverse direction, within-subject negative affect predicted decreases of overall within-subject mindfulness, which suggests that this relationship may be reciprocal over time. When examined at the facet level of mindfulness, all five within-subject facets of the FFMQ predicted reductions in within-subject negative affect over time. In return, within-subject negative affect predicted reductions in three within-subject mindfulness facets: non-reacting, acting with awareness, and describing. On balance, the results of this study suggest that trait mindfulness, as assessed with the FFMQ, was much more successful in predicting diminished negative affect than in predicting a boost in positive affect. Further, the presence of negative affect seems to exert an inhibiting influence over time on the implementation of several mindfulness facets.