Comparing the Relative Importance of Mindfulness Skills and Content of Automatic Negative Thoughts in Predicting Self-Reported Depression in Volunteer Care-Givers

Mander, Heather (2011) Comparing the Relative Importance of Mindfulness Skills and Content of Automatic Negative Thoughts in Predicting Self-Reported Depression in Volunteer Care-Givers. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)


Abstract

This study examined the relative importance of mindfulness components, acting with awareness, acceptance without judgement and automatic negative thoughts on the perceived levels of depression among volunteer care givers. Within the cognitive model of depression, the role of people’s irrational beliefs has been seen as a primary factor that precipitates and perpetuates depression. The automatic thoughts that are prompted by these beliefs become unquestioned “truths” causing unhelpful judgements. Recently, concerns have been raised regarding the efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapy as a treatment for depression. This has been targeted toward the process of changing unwanted automatic negative cognitions as a way to alleviate depression. Studies have begun to show that targeting these beliefs is not effective in the long term and relapse rates are high (Jarret, Doyle, Vittengl & Clark, 2007). Interest has now moved to people’s here and now experiences, attentional control or mindfulness as an aspect of the cognitive behavioural theory model. Mindfulness cognitive theories consider the assessment of a person’s mindfulness to be important in determining the skills necessary for a successful therapeutic outcome. Additionally, this study examines the relationship between carer depression and their level of perceived support and satisfaction. Participants in this study were members of carer support groups from Perth, WA and Toowoomba, QLD. USQ students were also invited to participate if they were currently in a volunteer care giving role. Out of the 139 participants, 105 were female and 34 were male with ages ranging from 17 to 65 years (M = 34.56, SD = 12.28), 35% of participants reported being a carer for their parents, 22% caring for their child, 16% reported being a carer for their spouse and 25% reported being in a caring role for another relative or friend. An online survey was conducted to assess the relative importance of the variables acting with awareness, acceptance without judgement and automatic negative thoughts had on depression. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond,1995) the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ: Hollon & Kendall, 1980) and the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS; Baer, Smith & Allen, 2004) were used to measure levels of depression, frequency of automatic negative thoughts and mindfulness, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed significant correlations between all variables. Acting with awareness and acceptance without judgement were both strongly negatively correlated with depression and automatic negative thoughts. Automatic negative thoughts had a strong relationship with depression (p<.001). A regression analysis showed that automatic negative thoughts and acceptance without judgement made significant unique contributions to depression with automatic negative thoughts being the strongest predictor (β =.95). Additionally, two mediation analyses were conducted using acting with awareness and acceptance without judgement as mediators. Acting with awareness did not significantly mediate the relationship between automatic negative thoughts and depression. Acceptance without judgement increased the relationship by .06. This unusual result sparked further investigation and a partial correlation was conducted. This found that the relationship between automatic negative thoughts and depression weakened when acceptance without judgement was controlled out. This is believed to be because the automatic thought questionnaire appears to be tapping the depression construct itself. Accounting for some measurement error, the correlation between these two variables is close to perfect (r =.89). The results of this study are consistent with other research findings, that lower levels of depression and automatic negative thoughts are related to higher levels of acceptance and awareness (Frewen, Evans, Maraj, Dozois & Partridge, 2007) and high levels of automatic negative thoughts are related to high levels of depression (e.g., Clarke & Goosen, 2008; Smith Houston & Zurawski, 1984). This gives further evidence at the theoretical level that mindfulness training may bring about a decline in perceived levels of depression through facilitating a more decentred approach to coping with automatic negative thoughts. Further research is required in this area to identify whether a more mindful approach is more successful than traditional cognitive behavioural therapy.


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Item Type: Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours)
Item Status: Live Archive
Additional Information: Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013)
Supervisors: Paul Bramston
Qualification: Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Date Deposited: 16 Oct 2025 01:16
Last Modified: 16 Oct 2025 01:16
Fields of Research (2008): 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified
Fields of Research (2020): 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified
URI: https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52531

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