Cognitive processes mediate the relation between mindfulness and social anxiety within a clinical sample.

OBJECTIVES

The researchers investigated the relation between mindfulness and social anxiety symptoms, and examined whether this relation is mediated by cognitive appraisals commonly associated with social anxiety.

PARTICIPANTS

Ninety-eight individuals diagnosed with social phobia.

DESIGN

Using a cross-sectional design, ordinary least squares regression and bootstrapping mediation analyses were used to test the study hypotheses.

RESULTS

Mindfulness was negatively related to symptoms of social anxiety. This relation was partially mediated by cognitive appraisals about the likelihood and cost of a negative social outcome.

CONCLUSION

Further research using a longitudinal design and other measures of mindfulness is needed to replicate these findings and further explicate the mechanism by which mindfulness might be associated with negative cognitive appraisals.