Detached mindfulness and worry: a meta-cognitive analysis

In this study, the role of detached mindfulness (a detached attitude) as a possible ameliorator of worry was investigated. The way in which detached mindfulness affected problem-solving related meta-cognitions as a key variable associated with prolonged worry was examined. Japanese college students (N=127) completed the following measures: cognitive styles (Detached Objectivity and Trust in Good Luck), problem-solving related meta-cognitions (Negative Appraisal of the problem-solving process and Persistence in Thinking) and worry-proneness. Detached Objectivity was intended to measure detached mindfulness. Both Detached Objectivity and Trust in Good Luck were negatively correlated with worry-proneness. Structural equation modeling predicting worry-proneness further clarified how detached mindfulness influenced worry processes. Both Trust in Good Luck and Detached Objectivity reduced worry-proneness by enhancing the perceived quality of problem-solving (i.e., by reducing negative appraisal). In addition, Detached Objectivity directly reduced worry-proneness. The results supported the importance of detached mindfulness in reducing worry. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the meta-cognitive model of worry (Wells, 1995, 1999, 2000).