Nonattachment Predicts Empathy, Rejection Sensitivity, and Symptom Reduction After a Mindfulness-Based Intervention Among Young Adults with a History of Childhood Maltreatment

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Children who were maltreated show fewer prosocial acts and more withdrawn, disruptive, or aggressive conduct.

“previous studies have shown that maltreated children had reduced prosocial behaviors and more withdrawn or disruptive or aggressive behaviors (Alink et al. 2012; Prino and Peyrot 1994).”

• cites Alink et al. 2012 sourceSupported
• cites Prino and Peyrot 1994 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

In adolescents, nonattachment was an independent predictor of helpful and kind prosocial actions.

“In a previous study, nonattachment independently predicted prosocial behaviors of helpfulness and kindness in an adolescent sample (Sahdra et al. 2015).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2015 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

A history of childhood maltreatment exerts enduring and broad effects on mental health, including social functioning.

“Childhood maltreatment has long-lasting and pervasive impact on individuals’ psychological health (Teicher and Samson 2013), including social functioning (Simon et al. 2009).”

• cites Teicher and Samson 2013 sourceSupported
• cites Simon et al. 2009 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Trait mindfulness, especially the non-judging facet, has been linked to lower rejection sensitivity.

“A previous study showed that dispositional mindfulness, particularly the component of non-judgment, was negatively associated with rejection sensitivity (Peters et al. 2016).”

• cites Peters et al. 2016 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

In children and adolescents, mindfulness programs have been found to improve social skills and prosocial conduct.

“Mindfulness interventions have shown effects for improving social skills and prosocial behaviors among children and adolescents (Beauchemin et al. 2008; Flook et al. 2015).”

• cites Beauchemin et al. 2008 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Flook et al. 2015 sourcePartly supported

  The Discussion (page not provided) reports larger gains in teacher-reported social competence and less selfish sharing behavior among preschool children who received the Kindness Curriculum. This supports the claim for young children, but the study does not establish effects among adolescents. (LLM, conf=0.84)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Changes in MAAS were reported in a previous study and included here for completeness; the numbers differ because four participants who completed the mindfulness intervention after their waiting period were included only in the control group.

“Changes in MAAS was reported in detail in our previous study (Joss et al., 2019), and is included in this paper for completeness of narrative; the numbers are slightly different because in this paper, data from the 4 participants that completed the mindfulness intervention after their waiting period were only included in the analyses of the control group but not the mindfulness group.”

• cites Joss et al., 2019 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Emotional numbness in PTSD is linked to relationship strain and lower perceived social support.

“due to emotional numbness, individuals suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often experience strains in interpersonal relationships (Ruscio et al. 2002) and perceive less social support (Beck et al. 2009).”

• cites Ruscio et al. 2002 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Beck et al. 2009 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

Non-attachment is defined as relating to experiences flexibly, without either clinging to them or pushing them away.

“Non-attachment, a concept that arose from Buddhism philosophy, reflects “a flexible way of relating to one’s experiences without clinging to or suppressing them” (Sahdra et al. 2015, page 263).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2015 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

PTSD and anxiety frequently occur in people who experienced childhood maltreatment.

“Post-traumatic stress and anxiety are common symptoms among childhood maltreatment survivors (Breslau et al. 2014).”

• cites Breslau et al. 2014 sourcePartly supported

  The Results report an increased risk of PTSD after adult trauma among participants with severe childhood maltreatment, but not a significant increase for moderate maltreatment. The paper does not establish that PTSD is common among childhood maltreatment survivors generally, or that anxiety is common in that group; it reports no corresponding anxiety finding. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Impairment of empathy, particularly the affective aspect, has been found in various psychological disorders such as social anxiety disorder, depression, and PTSD.

“Impairment of empathy, particularly the affective aspect, has been found in various psychological disorders, such as social anxiety disorder (Morrison et al. 2016), depression (O’Connor et al. 2002), and PTSD (Mazza et al. 2015).”

• cites Morrison et al. 2016 sourceSupported
• cites O’Connor et al. 2002 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Mazza et al. 2015 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing).

Non-attachment reflects a flexible way of relating to one's experiences without clinging to or suppressing them.

“It reflects “a flexible way of relating to one’s experiences without clinging to or suppressing them” (Sahdra et al. 2015, page 263).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2015 sourceSupported

May combine two claims.

The present study found a significant negative correlation between baseline IRI-PD and IRI-PT scores, consistent with prior findings.

“The present study found a significant negative correlation between the baseline scores of IRI-PD and IRI-PT, which is consistent with prior findings on negative correlations between the two subscales (Davis 1980; Gilet et al. 2013).”

• cites Davis 1980Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

• cites Gilet et al. 2013 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Common method bias can be addressed with a multitrait-multimethod study.

“which can be addressed with a multitrait–multimethod study in which the same research participants are measured on multiple constructs using multiple methods or instruments (Bagozzi and Yi 1993).”

• cites Bagozzi and Yi 1993 sourceSupported

May combine two claims.

The present study found that baseline IRI-PD scores were positively correlated with severity of PTSD and anxiety sensitivity, consistent with prior findings that IRI-PD is associated with PTSD severity and social anxiety.

“The present study also found that the baseline scores of IRI-PD were positively correlated with the severity of PTSD and anxiety sensitivity, which is consistent with prior findings that IRI-PD scores were associated with severity of PTSD (Nietlisbach et al. 2010) and social anxiety (Contardi et al. 2013).”

• cites Nietlisbach et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Contardi et al. 2013 sourceSupported

May combine two claims.

Our data suggest that an increase in non-attachment had a significant contribution to the decrease in rejection sensitivity, which can be attributed to psychological elements cultivated in the mindfulness-based intervention such as non-judgment, acceptance, and self-compassion, all closely related to non-attachment.

“Our data suggests that increase in non-attachment had significant contribution to the decrease in rejection sensitivity, which can be attributed to the psychological elements cultivated in the mindfulness-based intervention such as non-judgment, acceptance and self-compassion (Joss et al. 2019), all of which are closely related to the concept of non-attachment.”

• cites Joss et al. 2019 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Social acknowledgment and re-inclusion are important factors of trauma processing and recovery.

“Therefore, it was suggested that social acknowledgment and “re-inclusion” are important factors of trauma processing and recovery (Mueller et al. 2008; Wagner et al. 2012).”

• cites Mueller et al. 2008 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Wagner et al. 2012 sourceSupported

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

35.3% of participants met criteria for lifetime depressive disorders.

“35.3% participants met diagnosis criteria for lifetime depressive disorders”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

41.2% of participants met criteria for lifetime anxiety disorders.

“41.2% participants met diagnosis criteria for lifetime anxiety disorders”

May combine two claims.

Mindfulness change did not significantly predict change in PCL, ASI, IRI-Personal Distress, IRI-Empathic Concern, or A-RSQ scores.

“Changes in non-attachment, but not mindfulness, had significant contributions to the score changes of PCL (16.375%), ASI (36.244%), IRI-Personal Distress (24.141%), IRI-Empathic Concern (16.830%), and A-RSQ (10.826%) (p < .05).”

May combine two claims.

Within the mindfulness group, IRI-PT, IRI-FS, IRI-EC, and ASI scores did not change significantly from baseline to post-intervention.

“the scores of IRI-PT, IRI-FS, IRI-EC and ASI did not have significant change (p values ranged from .161 to .992).”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

2.9% of participants met criteria for PTSD, which was classified under anxiety disorder in DSM-IV-TR.

“2.9% participants met diagnosis criteria for PTSD, which was classified under anxiety disorder in DSM-IV-TR.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

11.8% of participants met criteria for lifetime personality disorders.

“11.8% met diagnosis criteria for lifetime personality disorders”

May combine two claims.

Non-attachment change was a significant predictor of change in PCL, ASI, IRI-Personal Distress, IRI-Empathic Concern, and A-RSQ scores (p < .05).

“Changes in non-attachment, but not mindfulness, had significant contributions to the score changes of PCL (16.375%), ASI (36.244%), IRI-Personal Distress (24.141%), IRI-Empathic Concern (16.830%), and A-RSQ (10.826%) (p < .05).”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

At baseline, IRI-PT scores were negatively correlated with IRI-PD scores.

“There was a negative correlation between baseline IRI-PT scores and those of IRI-PD (r = −.430, p < .05).”

May combine two claims.

Although the positive correlation between non-attachment and mindfulness scores did not reach significance at baseline, the amounts of changes in non-attachment were positively correlated with the amounts of changes in mindfulness in the whole sample, consistent with prior reports.

“Although the positive correlation between non-attachment and mindfulness scores did not reach significance at baseline, the amounts of changes in non-attachment was positively correlated with the amounts of changes in mindfulness in the whole study sample of both groups (supplementary material, Table S2), which is consistent with prior reports on the positive associations between non-attachment”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Sahdra et al. 2016 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Sahdra et al. 2017 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

The quote only partly states this claim.

MAAS score changes did not explain a significant amount of variance in any other scale.

“but not any other scales (Figure 3.A).”

The quote only partly states this claim.

The mindfulness group had a significant reduction in A-RSQ percent change (23.189%).

“and A-RSQ (23.189%) scores.”

The quote only partly states this claim.

The mindfulness group had a significant reduction in PCL percent change (15.599%).

“as well as reduction in PCL (15.599%)”

May combine two claims.

The present study found positive associations between PCL score changes and score changes of IRI-PT and IRI-EC, i.e., participants with greater increase in Empathic Concern or Perspective Taking had less reduction in PTSD symptoms.

“The present study also found positive associations between PCL score changes and score changes of IRI-PT and IRI-EC, i.e., participants with greater increase in Empathic Concern or Perspective Taking had less reduction in PTSD symptoms.”

May combine two claims.

In the present study, there was no significant group by time interaction effect with IRI-PT and IRI-EC scores, nor significant change after the mindfulness intervention.

“In the present study, there was no significant group by time interaction effect with the scores of IRI-PT and IRI-EC, nor was there significant change after the mindfulness intervention.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

A proposed explanation for empathy deficits in maltreated people is that their abusive caregivers also lacked empathy, depriving them of models and learning opportunities.

“Existing literature suggests that empathy impairments among maltreated individuals could be due to empathy impairments in their abusive caregivers, which leads to lack of proper role models and learning opportunities (Francis and Wolfe 2008).”

• cites Francis and Wolfe 2008 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The two groups did not differ significantly in the distribution of race.

“and race (χ2= 3.421, p = .490)”

May combine two claims.

Being overly sensitive to others' thoughts and feelings may heighten anxiety and worsen interpersonal problems.

“On the other hand, over-sensitivity to other people’s thoughts and feelings can lead to increased anxiety which results in more interpersonal difficulties (Wilhelm et al. 2004; Butler et al. 2007; Vidyanidhi and Sudhir 2009), either as a result of reactivity to others’ negative emotional experience in terms of vicarious anxiety (Kendall et al. 1978), or as a result of negative interpretations”

• cites Wilhelm et al. 2004 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Butler et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Vidyanidhi and Sudhir 2009 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Participants in the mindfulness group practiced at home on average 758.688 minutes (SE = 132.060, range 40-1804).

“and on average practiced at home for 758.688 minutes (SE = 132.060, range 40–1804).”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The study was approved by the IRB of Partners HealthCare.

“The present study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Partners HealthCare (IRB#: 2014P000295), which is the IRB for Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, and several other local hospitals.”

May combine two claims.

Gains in mindfulness, non-attachment, and empathy were linked to decreases in interpersonal distress, rejection sensitivity, and other psychological symptoms.

“Findings from this pilot study suggest that the mindfulness-based intervention improved mindfulness, non-attachment and empathy, which contributed to reduced interpersonal distress, rejection sensitivity and other psychological symptoms.”

May combine two claims.

Participation in the mindfulness program led to gains in mindfulness, non-attachment, and empathy.

“Findings from this pilot study suggest that the mindfulness-based intervention improved mindfulness, non-attachment and empathy, which contributed to reduced interpersonal distress, rejection sensitivity and other psychological symptoms.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Missing data were handled by imputation for single missing items and pairwise deletion for whole-scale missing data.

“Missing data were handled with the following methods in the two corresponding scenarios: (1) For participants with single items missing in questionnaires, imputation was performed with SPSS; the imputed value for the missing item was calculated as the mean of the output from 50 permutations. (2) For participants that had missing data with a whole scale, “pair-wise deletion” method was used, i.e.,”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Participants in the mindfulness group attended on average 7.563 (SE = 0.376, range 5-9) of the 9 intervention sessions.

“Participants in the mindfulness group on average attended 7.563 (SE = 0.376, range 5–9) out of the total of 9 intervention sessions”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The two groups did not differ significantly in the distribution of sex.

“The two groups did not differ significantly in the distribution of sex (χ2= 0.926, p = .336)”

May combine two claims.

Childhood maltreatment survivors may hold harmful interpersonal schemas, including shame and perceived vulnerability, raising their risk for psychological symptoms.

“accompanied by maladaptive interpersonal schemas such as shame and vulnerability to harm that put them at higher risk for various psychological symptoms (Wright et al. 2009).”

• cites Wright et al. 2009 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

All demographic variables were used as covariates in subsequent analyses.

“All demographic variables were used as covariates in subsequent analyses.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

People with greater dispositional mindfulness tend to report more satisfying romantic relationships and cope better with relationship stress.

“Studies on mindfulness in romantic/marital relationships showed higher trait mindfulness predicted higher relationship satisfaction and better response to relationship stress (Barnes et al. 2007; Wachs and Cordova 2007).”

• cites Barnes et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Wachs and Cordova 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

In adulthood, people maltreated as children often report lower self-esteem and worse social functioning.

“adults with a history of childhood maltreatment tend to have lower self-esteem and poorer social functioning (Liem and Boudewyn 1999)”

• cites Liem and Boudewyn 1999 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

For PTSD patients, the present-centered quality of mindfulness programs is thought to be especially useful for avoidance and negative thoughts like self-blame, shame, and guilt.

“It was believed that the “present focus” nature of mindfulness based interventions are particularly helpful for symptoms of avoidance and negative cognitions such as self-blame, shame and guilt among PTSD patients (Boyd et al. 2018)”

• cites Boyd et al. 2018 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Among adults, different facets of dispositional mindfulness have been linked to how people feel and perform in social interactions.

“In adult samples, one study showed that various aspects of trait mindfulness were associated with feelings and performance in interpersonal situations (Dekeyser et al. 2008)”

• cites Dekeyser et al. 2008 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

Nonattachment correlates positively with mindfulness but is a distinct construct.

“Studies have shown that nonattachment was positively related to yet distinguishable from mindfulness (Sahdra et al. 2016; Sahdra et al. 2017).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2016 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Sahdra et al. 2017 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Mindfulness practices that foster nonjudgmental present-moment awareness may enhance empathy by boosting perspective taking and empathic concern and by improving emotion recognition and communication.

“It was suggested that the nonjudgmental and present moment awareness of mindfulness practices can improve empathy by increasing the capacity of perspective taking and empathic concern, and by improving the skills for emotion identification and communication (Barnes et al. 2007).”

• cites Barnes et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

There was no significant group difference on any childhood maltreatment measure or on frequency of lifetime DSM-IV-TR disorder diagnosis.

“There was no significant group difference on any of the childhood maltreatment measures, or frequency of lifetime DSM-IV-TR disorder diagnosis.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Age differed marginally between groups, with the mindfulness group slightly older than the control group.

“there was a marginally significant difference with age (t =−1.950, p = .060), in that the mindfulness group was slightly older than the control group.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Empathy is the capacity to understand others' perspectives and to feel and share others' feelings.

“Empathy is the capacity to understand others’ perspectives and to feel and share others’ feelings (Snyder et al. 2011).”

• cites Snyder et al. 2011Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

The state of nonattachment indicates release of mental fixations, which encourages more objective perception, greater compassion, reduced selfishness, and release from afflictive emotions, thus alleviating suffering.

“The state of “nonattachment” indicates “release of mental fixations”, which in turn encourages “more objective perception, greater compassion, reduced selfishness, and release from, or letting go of, what Buddhists call “afflictive” emotions, thus alleviating suffering.” (Sahdra et al. 2010, page 125).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The concept of non-attachment was derived from Buddhist philosophy.

“The concept of non-attachment was derived from the Buddhism philosophy (Sahdra et al. 2010).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Non-attachment is related to but distinguishable from the Western construct of attachment.

“It is “related but distinguishable from the Western construct of attachment” (Sahdra et al. 2010, page 116).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

The present study found a significant group by time interaction with NAS scores and a significant score increase after the mindfulness-based intervention, suggesting that the intervention could help cultivate non-attachment traits.

“the present study found a significant group by time interaction with the NAS scores, as well as a significant score increase after the mindfulness-based intervention, suggesting that the mindfulness-based intervention could help cultivate non-attachment traits.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

The prevalence of depression (35.3%) and anxiety disorders (41.2%) in the present sample is similar to previous findings, while PTSD prevalence is lower (2.9%), possibly due to a small sample mostly with mild to moderate maltreatment.

“The prevalence of depression (35.3%) and anxiety disorders (41.2%) in the sample of the present study are similar to the previous finding (Collishaw et al. 2007), the prevalence of PTSD is lower (2.9%), which could be due to our small sample of research participants who mostly had mild to moderate childhood maltreatment.”

• cites Collishaw et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Previous research showed NAS scores positively correlated with life satisfaction, pleasant affect, purpose in life, perspective taking (IRI-PT), and empathic concern (IRI-EC), and negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, stress, difficulty in emotion regulation, and personal distress (IRI-PD).

“Previous research also showed that NAS scores were positively correlated with measurements of life satisfaction, pleasant affect, purpose in life, perspective taking (measured by IRI-PT) and empathic concern (measured by IRI-EC) and negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, stress, difficulty in emotion regulation, and personal distress (measured by IRI-PD) (Sahdra et al. 2010).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

One study showed that 37% of adults with a childhood abuse history had a lifetime diagnosis of major depressive disorder, 39.6% had an anxiety disorder, and 19% had PTSD.

“one study showed that 37% of adults with a childhood abuse history had a lifetime diagnosis of major depressive disorder, 39.6% had an anxiety disorder and 19% had PTSD (Collishaw et al. 2007).”

• cites Collishaw et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Empathic concern is sympathy and compassion for others; personal distress is self-oriented feelings of anxiety and discomfort in response to others' suffering.

“in which empathic concern is about the sympathy and compassion for others while personal distress is the “self-oriented feelings of anxiety and discomfort” in response to others’ suffering (Rogers et al. 2007, page 711).”

• cites Rogers et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

Similar analyses found that mindfulness was not a significant contributor to symptom reduction, consistent with prior reports that nonattachment is distinguishable from mindfulness.

“More importantly, similar analyses found mindfulness was not a significant contributor to symptom reduction, which is consistent with prior reports that nonattachment was distinguishable from mindfulness (Sahdra et al. 2016; Sahdra et al. 2017).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2016 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Sahdra et al. 2017 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Some prior studies suggest the fantasy subscale is less robust than other subscales because it measures mental processes not exclusive to empathy and lacks concurrent validity with other empathy measures.

“Some prior studies suggest the “fantasy” subscale is less robust than other subscales since it measures mental processes that are not exclusive to empathy and it does not have concurrent validity with other empathy measures (Birnie et al. 2010).”

• cites Birnie et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

Empathic concern and personal distress (IRI subscales) reflect affective empathy.

“The other two subscales of IRI, “empathic concern” and “personal distress”, reflect affective empathy (Rogers et al. 2007)”

• cites Rogers et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

The present study found that baseline NAS scores were negatively correlated with PTSD severity, anxiety sensitivity, and IRI personal distress, consistent with prior findings.

“The present study found that prior to the intervention or waiting period, baseline scores of NAS had significant negative correlations with the severity of PTSD and anxiety sensitivity, as well as the personal distress subscale of IRI, which is consistent with prior findings that trait non-attachment is negatively associated with psychopathology (Sahdra et al. 2010).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Empathy is critical for interpersonal relationships, which are essential for healthy psychological functioning.

“Empathy is critical for interpersonal relationships, which are essential for healthy psychological functioning (Davis 1980).”

• cites Davis 1980Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms are common among adults with a childhood maltreatment history.

“Depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms are common symptoms among adults with a childhood maltreatment history”

• cites Collishaw et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Both non-attachment and mindfulness rise from Buddhist philosophy; existing studies indicate that non-attachment is positively related to mindfulness but distinguishable from it.

“Both the “non-attachment” and “mindfulness” concepts rise from the Buddhism philosophy; existing studies indicate that although non-attachment is positively related to mindfulness, it’s distinguishable from mindfulness (Sahdra et al. 2016; Sahdra et al. 2017).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2016 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Sahdra et al. 2017 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

Changes in NAS scores significantly contributed to changes in PTSD symptom severity, anxiety sensitivity, rejection sensitivity, and score changes of empathic concern and personal distress aspects of empathy, suggesting that improvement of non-attachment positively influenced the overall psychological landscape.

“results from the present study also showed that changes in NAS scores significantly contributed to changes in PTSD symptom severity, anxiety sensitivity, rejection sensitivity, as well as score changes of the empathic concern and personal distress aspects of empathy, suggesting that improvement of non-attachment traits positively influenced the overall psychological landscape.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The Buddhist notion of non-attachment is based on insight into the constructed and impermanent nature of mental representations.

“The Buddhist notion of non-attachment is “based on insight into the constructed and impermanent nature of mental representations” (Sahdra et al. 2010, page 116).”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Previous studies show NAS scores positively correlated with positive psychological traits such as mindfulness, acceptance, nonreactivity, self-compassion, autonomous motivation, and noncontingent happiness, and negatively correlated with maladaptive phenomena such as anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, depersonalization, amnesia, and materialism.

“In previous studies, scores of NAS have been shown to be positively correlated with positive psychological traits such as mindfulness, acceptance, nonreactivity, self-compassion, autonomous motivation and noncontingent happiness, while negatively correlated with maladaptive psychological phenomenon such as anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, depersonalization, amnesia and materialism (Sahdra”

• cites Sahdra et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Anxiety sensitivity is a nuanced aspect of anxiety focusing on fear of anxiety-related sensations and consequences, i.e., fear of fear.

“Anxiety sensitivity is a nuanced aspect of anxiety that focuses on individuals’ fear of anxiety-related sensations and consequences, i.e., “fear of fear” (Reiss et al. 1986)”

• cites Reiss et al. 1986 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Perspective taking and fantasy (IRI subscales) reflect cognitive empathy.

““Perspective taking”, i.e., the ability to adopt others’ perspectives, and “fantasy”, i.e., the ability to identify with fictional characters, two of the subscales of the IRI scale used in the present study, reflect cognitive empathy (Rogers et al. 2007).”

• cites Rogers et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

It was suggested that the nonjudgmental and present-focused nature of mindfulness practices could help increase the capacity for perspective taking and empathic concern.

“It was suggested that the “nonjudgmental” and “present focused” nature of mindfulness practices could help increase the capacity for perspective taking and empathic concern (Block-Lerner et al. 2007).”

• cites Block-Lerner et al. 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

Interpersonal traumatic experience, e.g., childhood maltreatment, often involves negligence of the victim's needs, violation of boundaries, or other deviations from social norms, leading to a threatened sense of belonging and perception of social isolation, which further leads to heightened sensitivity to cues of rejection.

“Interpersonal traumatic experience, e.g., childhood maltreatment, often involves negligence of victim’s needs, violation of their boundaries, or other forms of deviations from social norms, which leads to victims’ threatened sense of belonging and perception of social isolation, which further leads to heightened sensitivity to cues of rejection in the aftermath of traumatic experiences (Nietlis”

• cites Nietlisbach and Maercker 2009 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Use of self-reported measures is vulnerable to common method bias, i.e., spurious effects due to measurement instruments rather than to the constructs being measured.

“Use of self-reported measures is vulnerable to the “common method bias”, i.e., spurious effects due to the measurement instruments rather than to the constructs being measured (Podsakoff et al. 2003)”

• cites Podsakoff et al. 2003 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Social exclusion and social stigmatization are powerful factors for triggering and maintaining psychological symptoms related to traumatic life experiences.

“Social exclusion and social stigmatization are powerful factors for triggering and maintaining psychological symptoms related to traumatic life experiences (Nietlisbach and Maercker 2009).”

• cites Nietlisbach and Maercker 2009 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The finding that participants did not have significant improvement on IRI-PT or IRI-EC could be due to the mindfulness intervention not being particularly focused on empathy.

“The finding that participants in the present study did not have significant improvement on IRI-PT or IRI-EC scores could be due to the fact that the mindfulness intervention used in the present study was not particularly focused on empathy.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

This is consistent with existing thoughts that propose perceived social exclusion as a maintenance factor for PTSD.

“This is consistent with existing thoughts in the literature that proposes “perceived social exclusion as a maintenance factor for PTSD” (Nietlisbach and Maercker 2009, page 382).”

• cites Nietlisbach and Maercker 2009 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Such limitations affect the generalizability of the findings and should be addressed in future studies.

“Such limitations affect the generalizability of the findings and shall be addressed in future studies.”

May combine two claims.

Findings in the present study suggest that an increase in certain aspects of empathy, if isolated, could interfere with PTSD symptom reduction; an increase in empathy should be accompanied by other factors such as increased non-attachment and reduced rejection sensitivity to alleviate PTSD symptoms.

“Findings in the present study suggest that increase in certain aspects of empathy, if looking at in isolation, could interfere with PTSD symptom reduction; increase in empathy shall be accompanied by other factors such as increased non-attachment and reduced rejection sensitivity to alleviate PTSD symptoms.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

It was suggested that constructs of empathy are intertwined with core PTSD symptoms such as emotional numbing and avoidance of social interactions.

“It was suggested that constructs of empathy are intertwined with core PTSD symptoms such as emotional numbing and avoidance of social interactions (Nietlisbach and Maercker 2009).”

• cites Nietlisbach and Maercker 2009 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

A previous study showed increased Perspective Taking and decreased Personal Distress after MBSR in an adult community sample.

“A previous study showed increased scores on the Perspective Taking subscale and decreased scores on the Personal Distress subscale of IRI after MBSR in an adult community sample (Birnie et al. 2010).”

• cites Birnie et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

A prior study found a significant relationship between loving-kindness meditation and perspective taking.

“For example, a prior study found a significant relationship between loving-kindness meditation and perspective taking (Leppma and Young 2016).”

• cites Leppma and Young 2016 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

Because the control condition was a waiting list, the group difference in rejection sensitivity changes could be attributed to a difference in group social support.

“Because the control condition in the present study is waiting list, the group difference on rejection sensitivity changes could be attributed to the difference in group social support”

May combine two claims.

This study has several major limitations: a relatively small sample, only a waiting list control as opposed to an active control condition, lack of randomization, and lack of long-term follow-up.

“This study has several major limitations, including having a relatively small sample, only having a waiting list control as opposed to an active control condition, lack of randomization, and lack of long term follow up.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Use of the MAAS as a measure of mindfulness is a major limitation; concerns include that it does not measure acceptance or non-judgment, and its negative wording and measurement of inattentiveness limit its measurement to acting with awareness.

“The use of MAAS as a measure of mindfulness is also a major limitation; concerns have been raised in the literature with regard to the disadvantages of MAAS (Van Dam et al. 2010; Grossman 2011), e.g., it does not measure the acceptance (Sauer et al. 2013) nor the non-judgment (Baer et al. 2006) aspects of mindfulness, furthermore, its primarily negative wording and measurement of “inattentiveness””

• cites Van Dam et al. 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Grossman 2011 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Sauer et al. 2013 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

These findings confirmed the existence of empathy impairment in the study population and its association with psychopathology.

“These findings confirmed the existence of empathy impairment in our study population, as well as its association with psychopathology.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Some other mindfulness practices, such as loving-kindness meditation, provide concentrated training on empathy and compassion.

“Some other mindfulness practice, such as the loving-kindness meditation, provides concentrated training on empathy and compassion (Kristeller and Johnson 2005).”

• cites Kristeller and Johnson 2005 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Prior research suggests that child abuse is predictive of rejection sensitivity, which in turn mediates the impact of early life trauma on interpersonal relationships.

“Prior research suggests that child abuse is predictive of rejection sensitivity, which in turn mediates the impact of early life trauma on interpersonal relationships (Purdie and Downey 2000).”

• cites Purdie and Downey 2000 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Use of self-report questionnaires to measure empathy is a major limitation.

“In particular, the use of self-report questionnaires to measure empathy is a major limitation, future studies shall consider using performance tasks such as the Multifaceted Empathy Test (Dziobek et al., 2008) for more in-depth measurement of empathy.”

• cites Dziobek et al., 2008 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source