The Influence of Mindfulness on the Link Between Consumer Culture Values and Well-being

University of Sussex

Status: Completed

Conditions: Mental Health and General Well-being

Treatments: Other: Self-guided MBCT course; Other: Teacher-led MBCT course

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03079154

ER/HELGAD/10

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study is a three-arm intervention, where students are randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Teacher-led group-based MBCT, Self-guided MBCT using an audio book, or 'wait list' control. Pre-intervention, respondents complete a questionnaire assessing self, values, psychological processes related to self, and well-being. Post-intervention, respondents complete the same questionnaire, and then take part in a laboratory-based study which assesses behaviours related to the variables measured in the questionnaires. We are aiming for a sample size of 180 students at Sussex, 60 in each intervention arm.

Full description

Substantive evidence shows that mindfulness training improves mental health and general well-being (see meta-analyses by Cavanagh, Strauss, and colleagues). A significant factor that reduces well-being is the internalisation of two core consumer culture values: a materialistic value orientation (MVO) and body perfect ideals (see meta-analyses by Dittmar and colleagues for MVO, and Grabe et al, Barlett et al. for idealised media models). Thus, mindfulness may act as a buffer against the negative impact of consumer culture ideals, consistent with value circumplex models which place materialistic and appearance-focused values at the self-enhancement end, opposite to self-transcendence values, such as caring for self and others and community engagement.

Self-transcendence values lead to psychological need satisfaction, whereas consumer culture values undermine such satisfaction (Self-Determination Theory).

Three novel questions are examined: (1) Is change in self-related values and psychological processes significant for the beneficial consequences of mindfulness for well-being? (2) Does mindfulness training reduce consumer culture values and associated harmful behaviours, such as disordered eating and excessive buying? (3) Do high and low intensity mindfulness interventions differ in impact?

The project involves collaboration with Kate Cavanagh in Psychology and the Co-Directors of the Sussex Centre for Mindfulness Clara Strauss and Robert Marx. It consists of: 1. qualitative interviews with experienced mindfulness teachers, 2. a multi-phase student intervention study, and 3. an exposure experiment with the same student sample.

Study 1: INTERVIEWS WITH MINDFULNESS TEACHERS (n=12) Semi-structured interviews with teachers (recruited through the UK Network of Mindfulness Teacher Training Organisations) will examine their views on the psychological processes significant in individuals' mental health improvement, focusing on processes related to values and self. Interviews will be audio-taped.

Study 2: INTERVENTION WITH STUDENTS (n=165-180) Phase 1: Online survey to collect baseline measures on all variables of interest, using established scales Trait mindfulness (Gu et al, 2016); Consumer Culture Values (Easterbrook et al., 2014); Core Self Beliefs (Fowler et al, 2006); Self-Discrepancies (Dittmar et al., 1996; Self-compassion (Neff, 2016); Self-esteem (Robins et al., 2001; Self-objectification (Lindner & Tantleff-Dunn, in press); Self-worth (Crocker et al., 2003); Self-concept clarity (Campbell et al., 2003); Self-construal (individualist vs. relational) (Aron et al., 1992); Social comparison tendency (Gibbons & Buunk, 1999); Consumer self-confidence, author, date); Mental health assessment (DASS-21); Subjective well-being (Dittmar & Kapur, 2001); Body esteem (Mendelson et al., 2001); Material esteem (Dittmar et al., 2016); Eating Behaviour (Van Strien et al., 1986, shortened); Excessive Buying (Dittmar et al., 2007); Emotion regulation (Bjureberg, 2016); Consumption-based coping (Wright et al., 2016)

Phase 2: Intervention (randomised control trial)

• 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive group therapy course guided by (non-NHS) mindfulness teachers (high intensity)
• Self-guided MBCT training using a published audio book and CDs (low intensity)
• 'Waiting list' (control; respondents are offered the book after the study)

Phase 3: On-line survey (same as Phase 1) Study 3: IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO CONSUMER CULTURE STIMULI (n=165-180) Using a 3 (mindfulness intervention condition) x 4 (CC stimuli: materialistic, appearance, combination, control) design, respondents view a film excerpt that contains an ad break (containing CC stimuli, approved in ER/HMC28/2), and then complete measures of actual eating (respondents will be offered food as a reward) and buying behaviour (approved in ER/RLJ/1), as well as selected measures used in Phases 1 and 3.

Studies 2 and 3 include 3 ug and 3 masters research projects.

Enrollment: 180 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Student at the University of Sussex

Exclusion criteria

Having experienced a significant life event (e.g., bereavement) in the six months proceeding the study Suffering from a mental health condition at clinical levels Having prior time commitments that prevent the respondents from taking parts in all phases of the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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180 participants in 3 patient groups

Teacher-led MBCT course

Experimental group

Description:

Eight-session mindfulness-based cognitive therapy course, including an initial orientation session, led by a qualified mindfulness teacher working with the Sussex Mindfulness Centre, a part of the NHS Sussex Partnership Mental Health Trust.

Treatment:

Other: Teacher-led MBCT course

Self-guided MBCT course

Active Comparator group

Description:

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy course, after an initial information session, which is self-guided using the audiobook Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman (2011). It consists of eight substantive chapters that map on to the eight-session MBCT course taught by teachers to groups of students. Students will be asked to work through one chapter a week, thus matching the pace of the teacher-led intervention.

Treatment:

Other: Self-guided MBCT course

Wait list control

No Intervention group

Description:

Students in the wait list (control) arm do not receive any intervention for the same length of time as the experimental and active comparator arms of the intervention are taking place. Students are invited to complete the self-guided MBCT course after the end of the research project.