Trait mindfulness associations with executive function and well-being in older adults

Abstract

Objectives

The current study investigated trait mindfulness associations with distinct aspects of executive function. We also aimed to characterize relationships between trait mindfulness with measures of psychological risk and resilience within adults aged 55–87 years.

Method

In this cross-sectional study, 121 adults completed neuropsychological measures of working memory, mental set-shifting, and inhibition, as well as a battery of well-validated psychological self-report measures. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) measured trait mindfulness.

Results

Trait mindfulness was associated with greater age, years of education and self-efficacy, and less perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and subjective cognitive concerns. Hierarchal multiple regression analyses showed that trait mindfulness was a significant predictor of inhibitory control, even after adjusting for age, education, and global cognition in the model. Trait mindfulness was not significantly associated with working memory or mental set-shifting. Follow-up analyses using the PROCESS macro revealed that trait mindfulness mediated the relationship between perceived stress and inhibitory control.

Conclusion

Trait mindfulness was associated with measures of greater well-being and mental health. Our results also indicate that trait mindfulness may provide psychological resilience by attenuating perceived stress and enhancing the capacity to intentionally suppress irrelevant information and automatic responses.

Keywords:

• Resiliency
• attention
• self-efficacy
• mild cognitive impairment
• depression

Acknowledgements

This study was not preregistered. The authors would like to thank the community supporters and participants of the M-ABLE study, the University of Maine Center on Aging, Eastern Area Agency on Aging, University of Maine Holocaust Center, and the residential coordinators and directors at the community-dwelling sites for their assistance in recruitment and use of their offices for study visits.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by startup funds from the University of Maine and Maine Economic Improvement Fund and a National Academy of Neuropsychology Clinical Trial grant provided to the PI (Rebecca K. MacAulay). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.