Mindfulness Between the Sheets: Does a Brief Mindfulness Intervention Improve Community-Dwelling Populations’ Sexual Experiences and Motivations, and Are Effects Moderated by Attachment Insecurity?

Figures & data

Table 1. Retention analyses contrasting characteristics of included versus excluded participants.

	Included	Excluded	Contrast
Demographics
Mean Age (SD)	33.23 (7.71)	32.64 (9.46)	.49a
Mean Relationship Length (months) (SD)	106.81 (79.49)	99.20 (91.03)	.62a
% Female	93.33%	91.82%	.86b
% Heterosexual	78.89%	84.55%	2.49b
% Monogamous	95.56%	96.36%	1.43b
% New Zealand European	72.22%	63.64%	1.66b
% Currently or Previously Sexually Active	100.00%	100.00%	n/a
% With No or Minimal Meditation Experience	77.78%	85.00%	1.45b
Adherence information
Mean Days Listened to Audio-Recording (SD)	18.29 (7.39)	1.08 (2.54)	21.10a*
Mean Days Completed Pre-Int. Diary (SD)	6.84 (.63)	3.15 (3.00)	12.58a*
Mean Days Completed Post-Int. Diary (SD)	5.88 (1.65)	0.11 (0.75)	30.73a*
Attachment and sexual variables
Anxious Attachment	3.12 (1.00)	3.28 (1.06)	−1.02a
Avoidant Attachment	2.53 (.82)	2.76 (1.05)	−1.66a
Positive Sexual Experience	5.58 (1.29)	5.49 (1.23)	.35a
Self-Focused Approach-Based Sexual Motives	4.74 (1.38)	4.60 (1.27)	.59a
Other Focused Approach-Based Sexual Motives	5.64 (.90)	5.69 (1.06)	−.26a
Other Focused Avoidance-Based Sexual Motives	1.96 (1.38)	2.11 (1.27)	−.64a
Sexual Communal Strength	4.91 (1.08)	4.69 (1.41)	.94a
Unmitigated Sexual Communal Strength	3.09 (1.28)	2.95 (1.26)	.53a

Int = Intervention. All demographic and attachment variables were measured at baseline. The sexual variables were measured each day (when relevant) for 7 days prior to the mindfulness intervention and then aggregated to represent a pre-intervention average of those scores. _a = independent samples t-test, _b = Chi-Square test.

Table 2. Correlations between attachment dimensions and relationship outcomes at baseline.

	1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.
1. Attachment Anxiety	-
2. Attachment Avoidance	.54***	-
3. Positive Sexual Experience	−.06	−.09	-
4. SF Approach-Based SM	.10	−.04	.51***	-
5. OF Approach-Based SM	−.20	−.22	.35**	.22*	-
6. OF Avoidance-Based SM	.19	.22	−.51***	−.43***	−.09	-
7. SCS	.00	−.02	.13	.05	.52***	−.01	-
8. Unmitigated SCS	.05	−.00	−.49***	−.32*	.09	.40**	.39**

*p ≤ .05 **p ≤ .01 ***p ≤ .001. Note, SF. = Self-Focused, OF = Other-Focused, SM = Sexual Motives, SCS = Sexual Communal Strength.

Table 3. Results of repeated measures ANOVAs examining pre- to post-intervention change in mindfulness facets and overall mindfulness.

	Pre		Post		F(1,70)	p	η^2
	M	SD	M	SD
FFMQ Observe	3.26	.70	3.38	.80	4.59	.036	.06
FFMQ Describe	3.54	.81	3.58	.83	.59	.447	.01
FFMQ Acting with Awareness	3.07	.69	3.03	.75	.47	.496	.01
FFMQ Non-Judgment	3.21	.89	3.34	.97	3.06	.084	.04
FFMQ Non-Reactivity	3.17	.55	3.07	.58	2.66	.108	.04
FFMQ total score	3.25	.50	3.29	.54	.85	.360	.01

Sample is only with 71 participants rather than the full 90 that were included as 19 people did not complete the final FFMQ scale.

Table 4. The effects of the covariates, time, attachment anxiety, and the interaction between time and attachment anxiety (top) and the effect of the covariates, time, attachment avoidance, and the interaction between time and attachment avoidance (bottom) in the prediction of the outcome variables.

	Positive Sexual Experience			Self-Focused Approach-Based Sexual Motives			Other Focused Approach-Based Sexual Motives			Other Focused Avoidance-Based Sexual Motives			Sexual Communal Strength			Unmitigated Sexual Communal Strength
	F	p	η^2	F	p	η^2	F	p	η^2	F	p	η^2	F	p	η^2	F	p	η^2
Attachment Anxiety
IntAdhere	.87	.356	.02	.02	.900	.00	.50	.481	.01	.03	.863	.00	2.50	.122	.06	2.31	.137	.06
PreCountSexOrMotiv	1.35	.253	.03	1.19	.280	.02	1.70	.198	.03	4.34	.042	.07	.11	.746	.00	.09	.770	.00
PostCountSexOrMotiv	1.54	.222	.04	3.18	.079	.05	.65	.424	.01	2.20	.143	.04	2.14	.151	.05	.017	.687	.00
AttAvd	1.24	.272	.03	.26	.610	.00	.02	.896	.00	5.52	.022	.08	.02	.883	.00	.94	.339	.02
Time	.93	.341	.02	2.20	.143	.04	.93	.339	.02	.02	.895	.00	.00	.965	.00	1.58	.216	.04
AttAnx	.27	.606	.01	3.24	.077	.05	.76	.388	.01	.96	.331	.02	1.30	.261	.03	.11	.745	.00
Time*AttAnx	1.34	.255	.03	7.17	.010	.11	.20	.656	.00	1.48	.228	.02	5.64	.023	.13	.57	.454	.01
Attachment Avoidance
IntAdhere	.87	.356	.02	.02	.900	.00	.50	.481	.01	.03	.863	.00	2.50	.122	.06	2.31	.137	.06
PreCountSexOrMotiv	1.35	.253	.03	1.19	.280	.02	1.70	.198	.03	4.34	.042	.07	.11	.746	.00	.09	.770	.00
PostCountSexOrMotiv	1.54	.222	.04	3.18	.079	.05	.65	.424	.01	2.20	.143	.04	2.14	.151	.05	.17	.687	.00
AttAnx	.27	.606	.01	3.24	.077	.05	.76	.388	.01	.96	.331	.02	1.30	.261	.03	.11	.745	.01
Time	.22	.642	.01	.58	.450	.01	1.23	.272	.02	.01	.908	.00	.20	.660	.01	1.05	.311	.03
AttAvd	1.24	.272	.03	.26	.610	.00	.02	.896	.00	5.52	.022	.08	.02	.883	.00	.94	.339	.02
Time*AttAvd	.53	.471	.01	.04	.837	.00	1.00	.321	.02	.13	.722	.00	.24	.627	.01	.02	.904	.00

λ = Wilks’ Lambda; IntAdhere = Interventional Adherence; PreCountSexOrMotiv = The number of times an individual had, or was motivated to have, sex during the pre-intervention period; PostCountSexOrMotiv = The number of times an individual had, or was motivated to have, sex during the post-intervention period; AttAnx = Attachment Anxiety; AttAvd = Attachment Avoidance.

Figure 1. Rates of self-focused approach based sexual motivations among those high versus low in attachment anxiety across the two time points.

Table 5. Means, standard deviations, and pairwise comparisons of the outcome variables at each time point for persons high versus low in attachment anxiety (top) and avoidance (bottom).

		T1	T2	Difference Between T1 & T2
		M(SD)	M(SD)	Mean difference (SE)	p
Attachment Anxiety
Positive Sexual Experience	High	5.69 (1.35)	5.77 (1.02)	−.08 (.20)	.681
	Low	5.66 (1.11)	5.51 (1.38)	.15 (.13)	.260
Self-Focused Approach-Based Sexual Motives	High	4.86 (1.34)	5.37 (1.35)	−.51 (.20)	.016
	Low	4.59 (1.28)	4.44 (1.43)	.15 (.14)	.288
Other-Focused Approach-Based Sexual Motives	High	5.68 (.89)	5.84 (.92)	−.16 (.11)	.160
	Low	5.86 (.91)	5.88 (.83)	−.01 (.15)	.934
Other-Focused Avoidance-Based Sexual Motives	High	2.14 (1.46)	1.72 (.85)	.41 (.15)	.012
	Low	1.68 (2.14)	1.46 (.82)	.21 (.10)	.033
Sexual Communal Strength	High	5.04 (1.03)	4.78 (1.40)	.26 (.19)	.177
	Low	4.99 (.94)	5.35 (1.08)	−.36 (.18)	.061
Unmitigated Sexual Communal Strength	High	3.20 (1.31)	3.03 (1.05)	.17 (.16)	.31
	Low	3.09 (1.04)	3.06 (1.23)	.03 (.23)	.890
Attachment Avoidance
Positive Sexual Experience	High	5.42 (1.31)	5.40 (1.24)	.02 (.17)	.886
	Low	5.90 (1.16)	5.89 (1.09)	.01 (.19)	.976
Self-Focused Approach-Based Sexual Motives	High	4.58 (1.17)	4.94 (1.39)	−.36 (.20)	.084
	Low	4.86 (1.42)	4.93 (1.52)	−.07 (.17)	.695
Other–Focused Avoidance-Based Sexual Motives	High	2.30 (1.61)	1.91 (.91)	.39 (.18)	.040
	Low	1.60 (1.04)	1.34 (.69)	.26 (.08)	.003
Other–Focused Approach-Based Sexual Motives	High	5.61 (.93)	5.87 (.77)	−.26 (.16)	.114
	Low	5.90 (.86)	5.85 (.96)	.05 (.10)	.622
Sexual Communal Strength	High	5.01 (.94)	4.77 (1.34)	.24 (.21)	.266
	Low	5.04 (1.04)	5.25 (1.23)	−.21 (.18)	.241
Unmitigated Sexual Communal Strength	High	3.35 (1.13)	3.19 (1.12)	.16 (.23)	.486
	Low	2.98 (1.25)	2.91 (1.12)	.07 (.16)	.663

Figure 2. Rates of sexual communal strength among those high versus low in attachment anxiety across the two time points.