The correlation between mindfulness and negative automatic thoughts in depression patients

• Published in: Perspectives in psychiatric care Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 1944 - 1949
• Main Authors: Ayhan, Mehmet O., Kavak Budak, Funda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Hindawi Limited 01-10-2021
• Subjects: Clinical outcomes; depression; Health psychology; Mental depression; Mindfulness; negative automatic thought; Nursing; Psychiatric-mental health nursing; negative automatic thought; nursing; depression; mindfulness
• ISSN: 0031-5990; 1744-6163
• DOI: 10.1111/ppc.12770

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to determine the correlation between mindfulness and negative automatic thoughts in depression patients.
Design and Methods
The sample of the study, which was conducted as a correlational descriptive study, was determined as 151 patients with depression via power analysis. The Descriptive Characteristics Form, “Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS),” and “Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire‐Negative (ATQ‐N)” were used to collect the data.
Findings
It was determined that the total mean score of the participants was 32.59 ± 8.55 in the MAAS and 109.06 ± 15.07 in the ATQ‐N. In the study, it was found that there was a statistically negative strong correlation between mindfulness and negative automatic thoughts of patients with depression (p < 0.05).
Practice Implications
In the study, it was determined that the patients had higher negative automatic thoughts and lower mindfulness. Also, mindfulness accounted for negative automatic thoughts at the rate of 56%.