Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up emotion regulation strategy?

doi:10.1016/J.CPR.2012.10.006

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Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up emotion regulation strategy?

Journal Article•DOI•

Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up emotion regulation strategy?

Alberto Chiesa¹, Alessandro Serretti¹, Janus Christian Jakobsen²•Institutions (2)

University of Bologna¹, Copenhagen University Hospital²

01 Feb 2013-Clinical Psychology Review (Clin Psychol Rev)-Vol. 33, Iss: 1, pp 82-96

TL;DR: It is suggested that mindfulness training is associated with 'top-down' emotion regulation in short-term practitioners and with 'bottom-up' emotionregulation in long-term practice andLimitations of current evidence and suggestions for future research on this topic are discussed.

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About: This article is published in Clinical Psychology Review.The article was published on 2013-02-01. It has received 358 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Mindfulness.

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Journal Article•DOI•

The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation

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Yi-Yuan Tang¹, Britta K. Hölzel², Michael I. Posner³•Institutions (3)

Texas Tech University¹, Technische Universität München², University of Oregon³

01 Apr 2015-Nature Reviews Neuroscience

TL;DR: Research over the past two decades broadly supports the claim that mindfulness meditation exerts beneficial effects on physical and mental health, and cognitive performance, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear.

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Abstract: Research over the past two decades broadly supports the claim that mindfulness meditation - practiced widely for the reduction of stress and promotion of health - exerts beneficial effects on physical and mental health, and cognitive performance. Recent neuroimaging studies have begun to uncover the brain areas and networks that mediate these positive effects. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear, and it is apparent that more methodologically rigorous studies are required if we are to gain a full understanding of the neuronal and molecular bases of the changes in the brain that accompany mindfulness meditation.

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1,648 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft.

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Rebecca Crane¹, Judson A. Brewer², Candace H. Feldman, Jon Kabat-Zinn², Saki F. Santorelli², Jeffrey Williams³, Willem Kuyken³ - Show less +3 more•Institutions (3)

Bangor University¹, University of Massachusetts Medical School², University of Oxford³

01 Apr 2017-Psychological Medicine

TL;DR: This paper provides a framework to define the essential characteristics of the family ofMBPs originating from the parent program MBSR, and the processes which inform adaptations of MBPs for different populations or contexts.

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Abstract: There has been an explosion of interest in mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. This is demonstrated in increased research, implementation of MBPs in healthcare, educational, criminal justice and workplace settings, and in mainstream interest. For the sustainable development of the field there is a need to articulate a definition of what an MBP is and what it is not. This paper provides a framework to define the essential characteristics of the family of MBPs originating from the parent program MBSR, and the processes which inform adaptations of MBPs for different populations or contexts. The framework addresses the essential characteristics of the program and of teacher. MBPs: are informed by theories and practices that draw from a confluence of contemplative traditions, science, and the major disciplines of medicine, psychology and education; underpinned by a model of human experience which addresses the causes of human distress and the pathways to relieving it; develop a new relationship with experience characterized by present moment focus, decentering and an approach orientation; catalyze the development of qualities such as joy, compassion, wisdom, equanimity and greater attentional, emotional and behavioral self-regulation, and engage participants in a sustained intensive training in mindfulness meditation practice, in an experiential inquiry-based learning process and in exercises to develop understanding. The paper's aim is to support clarity, which will in turn support the systematic development of MBP research, and the integrity of the field during the process of implementation in the mainstream.

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462 citations

Cites methods from "Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up ..."

...This emerging model is being clarified and developed as empirical understanding is built (Brewer et al. 2013; Chiesa et al. 2013; Gu et al. 2015; Van der Velden et al. 2015)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

The Frontoparietal Control System A Central Role in Mental Health

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Michael W. Cole¹, Grega Repovs², Alan Anticevic³•Institutions (3)

Washington University in St. Louis¹, University of Ljubljana², Yale University³

12 Mar 2014-The Neuroscientist

TL;DR: It is proposed that a frontoparietal control system consisting of flexible hubs that regulate distributed systems implements feedback control to regulate symptoms as they arise, such that an intact control system is protective against a variety of mental illnesses.

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Abstract: Recent findings suggest the existence of a frontoparietal control system consisting of flexible hubs that regulate distributed systems (e.g., visual, limbic, motor) according to current task goals. A growing number of studies are reporting alterations of this control system across a striking range of mental diseases. We suggest this may reflect a critical role for the control system in promoting and maintaining mental health. Specifically, we propose that this system implements feedback control to regulate symptoms as they arise (e.g., excessive anxiety reduced via regulation of amygdala), such that an intact control system is protective against a variety of mental illnesses. Consistent with this possibility, recent results indicate that several major mental illnesses involve altered brain-wide connectivity of the control system, likely altering its ability to regulate symptoms. These results suggest that this "immune system of the mind" may be an especially important target for future basic and clinical research.

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355 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

A systematic review of mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder.

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Anne Maj van der Velden¹, Willem Kuyken², Ulla Wattar, Catherine Crane², Karen Johanne Pallesen¹, Jesper Dahlgaard³, Lone Overby Fjorback¹, Jacob Piet¹ - Show less +4 more•Institutions (3)

Aarhus University Hospital¹, University of Oxford², Aarhus University³

01 Apr 2015-Clinical Psychology Review

TL;DR: The results suggest that MBCt could work through some of the MBCT model's theoretically predicted mechanisms, however, there is a need for more rigorous designs that can assess greater levels of causal specificity.

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330 citations

Cites background from "Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up ..."

...For example, it has been suggested that MBIs may facilitate both bottom-up and top-down emotion regulation (Chiesa et al., 2013; Hölzel, Lazar et al., 2011)....
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...As such the review supplements existing reviews of trans-diagnostic mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based interventions as a whole (e.g. Chiesa et al., 2013; Hölzel, Carmody et al, 2011; Vago & Silbersweig, 2012), by providing important information on potentialmechanisms of change specifically…...
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Journal Article•DOI•

Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: Insights from Neurobiological, Psychological, and Clinical Studies.

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Simón Guendelman¹, Sebastián Medeiros², Sebastián Medeiros³, Hagen Rampes•Institutions (3)

Humboldt University of Berlin¹, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile², Millennium Institute³

06 Mar 2017-Frontiers in Psychology

TL;DR: An embodied emotion regulation framework is proposed as a multilevel approach for understanding psychobiological changes due to mindfulness meditation regarding its effect on emotion regulation.

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Abstract: There is increasing interest in the beneficial clinical effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). Research has demonstrated their efficacy in a wide range of psychological conditions characterized by emotion dysregulation. Neuroimaging studies have evidenced functional and structural changes in a myriad of brain regions mainly involved in attention systems, emotion regulation and self-referential processing. In this article we review studies on psychological and neurobiological correlates across different empirically derived models of research, including dispositional mindfulness, mindfulness induction, MBIs and expert meditators in relation to emotion regulation. From the perspective of recent findings in the neuroscience of emotion regulation, we discuss the interplay of top-down and bottom-up emotion regulation mechanisms associated with different mindfulness models. From a phenomenological and cognitive perspective, authors have argued that mindfulness elicits a “mindful emotion regulation” strategy; however, from a clinical perspective, this construct has not been properly differentiated from other strategies and interventions within MBIs. In this context we propose the distinction between top-down and bottom-up mindfulness based emotion regulation strategies. Furthermore, we propose an embodied emotion regulation framework as a multilevel approach for understanding psychobiological changes due to mindfulness meditation regarding its effect on emotion regulation. Finally, based on clinical neuroscientific evidence on mindfulness, we open perspectives and dialogues regarding commonalities and differences between MBIs and other psychotherapeutic strategies for emotion regulation.

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290 citations

Cites background or result from "Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up ..."

...From this viewpoint, and taking into account models of different emotion regulation brain systems and different emotion regulation strategies, the notion of “mindful emotion regulation” (Chambers et al., 2009; Farb and Segal, 2012; Chiesa et al., 2013; Grecucci et al., 2015a) seems to imply certain problematic aspects....
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...Although there is no single definition, mindful emotion regulation is conceived as a unique emotion regulation strategy, that results from encountering diverse emotional states from a mindful mental state, which includes awareness and acceptance (Chambers et al., 2009; Farb and Segal, 2012; Chiesa et al., 2013; Grecucci et al., 2015a)....
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...In line with Chiesa et al. (2013), studies with EMs show a clearer engagement pattern of bottom-up systems, suggesting that these types of strategies are developed through long-term meditation training....
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...This distinction is in line with findings in MBIs (Table 4), and by Chiesa et al. (2013), and is consistent with the claim that novel practitioners in MBIs use primarily top-down emotion regulation strategies....
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...…strategy, termed “mindful emotion regulation,” different from cognitive reappraisal (based on topdown system), mainly through the privileged engagement of these bottom-up emotion regulation systems (Chambers et al., 2009; Farb and Segal, 2012; Chiesa et al., 2013; Grecucci et al., 2015a)....
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References

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Journal Article•DOI•

The Benefits of Being Present: Mindfulness and Its Role in Psychological Well-Being

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Kirk Warren Brown¹, Richard M. Ryan¹•Institutions (1)

University of Rochester¹

01 Apr 2003-Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

TL;DR: Correlational, quasi-experimental, and laboratory studies show that the MAAS measures a unique quality of consciousness that is related to a variety of well-being constructs, that differentiates mindfulness practitioners from others, and that is associated with enhanced self-awareness.

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Abstract: Mindfulness is an attribute of consciousness long believed to promote well-being. This research provides a theoretical and empirical examination of the role of mindfulness in psychological well-being. The development and psychometric properties of the dispositional Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) are described. Correlational, quasi-experimental, and laboratory studies then show that the MAAS measures a unique quality of consciousness that is related to a variety of well-being constructs, that differentiates mindfulness practitioners from others, and that is associated with enhanced selfawareness. An experience-sampling study shows that both dispositional and state mindfulness predict self-regulated behavior and positive emotional states. Finally, a clinical intervention study with cancer patients demonstrates that increases in mindfulness over time relate to declines in mood disturbance and stress. Many philosophical, spiritual, and psychological traditions emphasize the importance of the quality of consciousness for the maintenance and enhancement of well-being (Wilber, 2000). Despite this, it is easy to overlook the importance of consciousness in human well-being because almost everyone exercises its primary capacities, that is, attention and awareness. Indeed, the relation between qualities of consciousness and well-being has received little empirical attention. One attribute of consciousness that has been much-discussed in relation to well-being is mindfulness. The concept of mindfulness has roots in Buddhist and other contemplative traditions where conscious attention and awareness are actively cultivated. It is most commonly defined as the state of being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present. For example, Nyanaponika Thera (1972) called mindfulness “the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception” (p. 5). Hanh (1976) similarly defined mindfulness as “keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality” (p. 11). Recent research has shown that the enhancement of mindfulness through training facilitates a variety of well-being outcomes (e.g., Kabat-Zinn, 1990). To date, however, there has been little work examining this attribute as a naturally occurring characteristic. Recognizing that most everyone has the capacity to attend and to be aware, we nonetheless assume (a) that individuals differ in their propensity or willingness to be aware and to sustain attention to what is occurring in the present and (b) that this mindful capacity varies within persons, because it can be sharpened or dulled by a variety of factors. The intent of the present research is to reliably identify these inter- and intrapersonal variations in mindfulness, establish their relations to other relevant psychological constructs, and demonstrate their importance to a variety of forms of psychological well-being.

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9,818 citations

"Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up ..." refers background in this paper

...According to this perspective, mindfulness can be unambiguously conceptualized and can be described as a mental trait virtually present in everybody that can be quantified and measured (e.g. Brown & Ryan, 2003)....
[...]
...Interestingly, one could speculate that these twodifferent descriptions of mindfulness reflect the two different viewpoints of mindfulness alternatively described as a construct or as a non-conceptual phenomenological process (e.g. Brown & Ryan, 2003; Kang & Whittingham, 2010)....
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...…these authors have attempted to provide both qualitative (Bishop, 2002; Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, & Freedman, 2006) and quantitative (Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Lau et al., 2006) definitions of mindfulness that could be employed by current research....
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...Such an issue is particularly important if one considers that in the past decades several authors have attempted to conceptualize mindfulness as a construct (e.g. Baer, Smith, & Allen, 2004; Brown & Ryan, 2003)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

The Brain's Default Network Anatomy, Function, and Relevance to Disease

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Randy L. Buckner, Jessica R. Andrews-Hanna¹, Daniel L. Schacter¹•Institutions (1)

Harvard University¹

01 Mar 2008-Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

TL;DR: Past observations are synthesized to provide strong evidence that the default network is a specific, anatomically defined brain system preferentially active when individuals are not focused on the external environment, and for understanding mental disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease.

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Abstract: Thirty years of brain imaging research has converged to define the brain’s default network—a novel and only recently appreciated brain system that participates in internal modes of cognition Here we synthesize past observations to provide strong evidence that the default network is a specific, anatomically defined brain system preferentially active when individuals are not focused on the external environment Analysis of connectional anatomy in the monkey supports the presence of an interconnected brain system Providing insight into function, the default network is active when individuals are engaged in internally focused tasks including autobiographical memory retrieval, envisioning the future, and conceiving the perspectives of others Probing the functional anatomy of the network in detail reveals that it is best understood as multiple interacting subsystems The medial temporal lobe subsystem provides information from prior experiences in the form of memories and associations that are the building blocks of mental simulation The medial prefrontal subsystem facilitates the flexible use of this information during the construction of self-relevant mental simulations These two subsystems converge on important nodes of integration including the posterior cingulate cortex The implications of these functional and anatomical observations are discussed in relation to possible adaptive roles of the default network for using past experiences to plan for the future, navigate social interactions, and maximize the utility of moments when we are not otherwise engaged by the external world We conclude by discussing the relevance of the default network for understanding mental disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease

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8,448 citations

"Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up ..." refers background in this paper

...A possible mechanism underlying this finding could involve higher acceptance of emotional states which, in turn, is thought to reduce self-referential rumination about these states (Buckner et al., 2008)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationships, and well-being.

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James J. Gross¹, Oliver P. John²•Institutions (2)

Stanford University¹, University of California, Berkeley²

01 Aug 2003-Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

TL;DR: Five studies tested two general hypotheses: Individuals differ in their use of emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal and suppression, and these individual differences have implications for affect, well-being, and social relationships.

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Abstract: Five studies tested two general hypotheses: Individuals differ in their use of emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal and suppression, and these individual differences have implications for affect, well-being, and social relationships. Study 1 presents new measures of the habitual use of reappraisal and suppression. Study 2 examines convergent and discriminant validity. Study 3 shows that reappraisers experience and express greater positive emotion and lesser negative emotion, whereas suppressors experience and express lesser positive emotion, yet experience greater negative emotion. Study 4 indicates that using reappraisal is associated with better interpersonal functioning, whereas using suppression is associated with worse interpersonal functioning. Study 5 shows that using reappraisal is related positively to well-being, whereas using suppression is related negatively.

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8,261 citations

"Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up ..." refers background in this paper

...…suggesting that the repeated use of emotional suppression could lead to several negative consequences, such as a decreased experience of positive emotions (Gross & Levenson, 1997), increased rumination regarding negative mood and self-image and higher incidence of depression (Gross & John, 2003)....
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...However, at least two distinct emotion regulation strategies have been clearly distinguished from one another (Chiesa et al., 2010; Gross, 1998a; Gross & John, 2003, for a more detailed description see below)....
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...However, in the last two decades it has been suggested that at least two distinct types of emotion regulation should be distinguished from one another: antecedent- and response-focused emotion regulation strategies (Gross, 1998a; Gross & John, 2003)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review.

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James J. Gross¹•Institutions (1)

Stanford University¹

01 Sep 1998-Review of General Psychology

TL;DR: The emerging field of emotion regulation studies how individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express them as mentioned in this paper, and characterizes emotion in terms of response tendencies.

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Abstract: The emerging field of emotion regulation studies how individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express them. This review takes an evolutionary perspective and characterizes emotion in terms of response tendencies. Emotion regulation is denned and distinguished from coping, mood regulation, defense, and affect regulation. In the increasingly specialized discipline of psychology, the field of emotion regulation cuts across traditional boundaries and provides common ground. According to a process model of emotion regulation, emotion may be regulated at five points in the emotion generative process: (a) selection of the situation, (b) modification of the situation, (c) deployment of attention, (d) change of cognitions, and (e) modulation of responses. The field of emotion regulation promises new insights into age-old questions about how people manage their emotions.

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6,835 citations

"Mindfulness: top-down or bottom-up ..." refers background in this paper

...There is not yet complete consensus as to how emotion regulation should be properly defined and how different emotion regulation strategies should be unequivocally conceptualized and classified (Gross, 1998b)....
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...In particular, some emotion regulation strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal, are thought to manipulate the input to the emotion-generative system by actively reinterpreting emotional stimuli in a way that modifies their emotional impact (Gross, 1998b)....
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...Emotion regulation can be defined as the ability to regulate one's own emotions and emotional responses (Gross, 1998a, 1998b)....
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...On the other hand, cognitive reappraisal involves actively reinterpreting emotional stimuli in a way that modifies their emotional impact (Gross, 1998b)....
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...Current evidence suggests that there are several partially overlapping ways by which an individual can regulate his/her own emotions (Gross, 1998b; Gross & Munoz, 1995)....
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Book•

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder

[...]

Marsha M. Linehan¹•Institutions (1)

University of Washington¹

01 Jan 1993

TL;DR: The treatment of Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been studied extensively in the literature as discussed by the authors, with a focus on the treatment of the behavioral patterns of patients with BPD.

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Abstract: Part I: Theory and Concepts Borderline Personality Disorder: Concepts, Controversies, and Definitions Dialectical and Biosocial Underpinnings of Treatment Behavioral Patterns: Dialectical Dilemmas in the Treatment of Borderline Patients Part II: Treatment Overview and Goals Overview of Treatment: Targets, Strategies, and Assumptions in a Nutshell Behavioral Targets in Treatment: Behaviors to Increase and Decrease Structuring Treatment around Target Behaviors: Who Treats What and When Part III: Basic Treatment Strategies Dialectical Treatment Strategies Core Strategies: Validation Core Strategies: Problem Solving Change Procedures: Contingency Procedures of Managing Contingencies and Observing Limits Change Procedures: Skills Training, Exposure, Cognitive Modification Stylistic Strategies: Balancing Communication Case Management Strategies: Interacting with the Community Part IV: Strategies for Specific Tasks Structural Strategies Special Treatment Strategies Appendix: Suggesting Reading References Index

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6,378 citations