Cited by 134Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPersonality Disorders and Psychopathology

Decentering as a Common Link among Mindfulness, Cognitive Reappraisal, and Social Anxiety

Open access
Hayes-Skelton, Sarah, Graham, Jessica·2013·Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

Abstract

Background: The tendency to employ both cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness are associated with reduced trait social anxiety; however, it is unclear whether reappraisal and mindfulness are associated with social anxiety through the same mechanisms. It has been proposed that decentering, or the process of seeing thoughts or feelings as objective events in the mind rather than personally identifying with them, may be a key mechanism underlying both cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness. Aims: To examine the relationships between reappraisal, mindfulness, decentering, and social anxiety. Method: This study utilized structural equation modeling to examine the relationships among cognitive reappraisal, mindfulness, decentering, and social anxiety in a large cross-sectional study. Results: Results indicate that the relationship between mindfulness and social anxiety is partially accounted for by decentering, whereas the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and social anxiety is more fully accounted for by decentering. Conclusions: These results imply that decentering may be a common mechanism underlying both cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness, although mindfulness may also affect social anxiety through additional mechanisms. However, given the cross-sectional nature of these findings, results should be considered preliminary, with future research being needed to further elucidate these relationships.

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Crossref · 10.1017/s1352465812000902

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  • Mediation analyses support a role for decentering and mindful emotion regulation in explaining the benefits of mindfulness on caregiver psychological health.

    “Mediation analyses have supported a role for these coping strategies in explaining the benefits of mindfulness on caregiver psychological health [19, 28].”

    From Mindfulness and Care Experience in Family Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia (2023) · cites this paper as [28]

    The Results report significant indirect associations from mindfulness and cognitive reappraisal through decentering to social anxiety. But the Methods describe a cross-sectional sample recruited from a university campus, not caregivers; the paper does not test benefits of mindfulness for caregiver psychological health. The Discussion also cautions that the study is not a test of treatment strategies. (LLM, conf=0.89)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • EQ scores improve over the course of behavioural and cognitive therapies, and the magnitude of such change is associated with key outcomes like symptom severity and quality of life.

    “Finally, EQ scores improve over the course of behavioural and cognitive therapies; the magnitude of such change is associated with key outcomes like symptom severity and quality of life.23 26 27 36 37”

    From Protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating an intervention to boost decentering in response to distressing mental experiences during adolescence: the decentering in adolescence study (DECADES) (2022) · cites this paper as [27]

    The Results report an association between decentering, measured with the EQ subscale, and social anxiety. They do not show that EQ scores improved during therapy or that the magnitude of score change was associated with symptom severity or quality of life. The Discussion says the study was not a test of treatment strategies and calls for research on change across therapies. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Improvements in decentering-related abilities accrued during psychological interventions predict reduced anxiety and depression.

    “Third, improvements in decentering-related abilities that are accrued during psychological interventions predict reduced anxiety and depression69–71 (section 4).”

    From Decentering as a core component in the psychological treatment and prevention of youth anxiety and depression: a narrative review and insight report (2021) · cites this paper as [69]

    The Results report an association between greater decentering and lower social anxiety. But the Discussion says the study was not a test of treatment strategies, and the paper describes its findings as cross-sectional and preliminary. It therefore does not establish that improvements accrued during psychological interventions predict subsequent reductions in anxiety or depression. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The negative association between trait mindfulness and anxiety severity is partially mediated by decentering-related abilities.

    “This is reflected by evidence that the negative association between trait mindfulness and anxiety severity is partially mediated by decentering-related abilities69,87.”

    From Decentering as a core component in the psychological treatment and prevention of youth anxiety and depression: a narrative review and insight report (2021) · cites this paper as [69]

    The Results (page not provided) report a negative association between mindfulness and social anxiety, with a significant indirect path through decentering; the Abstract Results say decentering partially accounts for that relationship. The claim says “anxiety severity” without specifying social anxiety, extending the finding beyond the condition studied. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In a cross-sectional SEM study, the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and social anxiety was fully accounted for by decentering.

    “Results revealed that the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and social anxiety was fully accounted for by decentering.”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Heimberg RG Becker RE Cognitive-behavioral group treatment for social phobia: Basic mechanisms and clinical applications 2002 Guilford Press New York

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Authors
Hayes-Skelton, S., & Graham, J.
Affiliations
University of Massachusetts Boston (US)
Venue
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
Published
2012-12-07
Volume
41
Issue
3
Pages
317-328
ISSN
  • 1352-4658 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-1833
OpenAlex
W1985414901
Cited by
134
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 10
FWCI
4.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH085060, R00MH085060, K99MH085060)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
Keywords
decentering, mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, social anxiety, trait social anxiety, common mechanisms, emotion regulation, metacognition
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Awareness, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Imagination, Internal-External Control, Male, Models, Psychological, Phobic Disorders, Problem Solving, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Thinking, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Young Adult

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