The Relationship Between Metacognition, Mindfulness, and Pathological Worry

The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in the reduction of pathological worry has been well-supported. However, the relationship between measures of mindfulness (i.e. Detached Mindfulness and Buddhist Mindfulness) and pathological worry has received little attention in the research literature. Detached Mindfulness is a component of the Metacognitive Model of Worry and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which is based upon the idea that metacognitive worry contributes to pathological worry. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between Detached Mindfulness, metacognitive worry, and pathological worry. In this study the relationship between Buddhist Mindfulness and pathological worry was also examined. Significant relationships between Detached Mindfulness, metacognitive worry, and pathological worry were found. However, Detached Mindfulness did not moderate the relationship between metacognitive worry and pathological worry. In addition, the relationship between Buddhist Mindfulness and pathological worry was also found to be significant. Lastly, Detached Mindfulness and Buddhist Mindfulness were found to be unique, significant predictors of pathological worry. Based on the current findings, teaching clients both Detached Mindfulness and Buddhist Mindfulness could be utilized to reduce pathological worry