Depressive Symptoms and Emotional Eating: Mediated by Mindfulness?

Marthe M. Höppener; Junilla K. Larsen; Tatjana van Strien; Machteld A. Ouwens; Laura H.H. Winkens; Rob Eisinga

doi:10.1007/s12671-018-1002-4

Depressive Symptoms and Emotional Eating: Mediated by Mindfulness?

Marthe M. Höppener, Junilla K. Larsen^*, Tatjana van Strien, Machteld A. Ouwens, Laura H.H. Winkens, Rob Eisinga

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating has been well established. The aim of the current study was to examine whether the association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating was mediated by mindfulness, a construct that has successfully been implemented in the treatment of eating disorders and depression. Mindfulness, particularly, the component “acting with awareness” was theorized to decrease impulsive eating. Data from 417 Dutch adult participants were analyzed. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling in Mplus. Of the five mindfulness subcomponents, only acting with awareness mediated the association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating. Results showed complete mediation in that the effect of depression on emotional eating was entirely carried indirectly through the mediator acting with awareness. None of the other mindfulness components mediated the depressive symptoms-emotional eating link. This indicates the potential importance of the “acting with awareness” construct, explaining why depressive symptoms would be associated with emotional eating. Future prospective research should examine whether, why and for whom acting with awareness may mediate the prospective link from depressive symptoms to emotional eating.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	670-678
Number of pages	9
Journal	Mindfulness
Volume	10
Issue number	4
Early online date	15 Aug 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1002-4
Publication status	Published - Apr 2019

Funding

The authors would like to thank all students and particularly Aniek Wols for their help in the data collection. Marthe Höppener analyzed the data and drafted the paper. Junilla Larsen composed the questionnaire, oversaw data collection, and reviewed the paper. Rob Eisinga conducted the Mplus analyses and reviewed the paper. Tatjana van Strien, Machteld A. Ouwens, and Laura Winkens read and reviewed the paper.

Funders	Funder number
Radboud Universiteit

Keywords

Acting with awareness
Depressive symptoms
Emotional eating
Mediation
Mindfulness

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title = "Depressive Symptoms and Emotional Eating: Mediated by Mindfulness?",

abstract = "The association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating has been well established. The aim of the current study was to examine whether the association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating was mediated by mindfulness, a construct that has successfully been implemented in the treatment of eating disorders and depression. Mindfulness, particularly, the component “acting with awareness” was theorized to decrease impulsive eating. Data from 417 Dutch adult participants were analyzed. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling in Mplus. Of the five mindfulness subcomponents, only acting with awareness mediated the association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating. Results showed complete mediation in that the effect of depression on emotional eating was entirely carried indirectly through the mediator acting with awareness. None of the other mindfulness components mediated the depressive symptoms-emotional eating link. This indicates the potential importance of the “acting with awareness” construct, explaining why depressive symptoms would be associated with emotional eating. Future prospective research should examine whether, why and for whom acting with awareness may mediate the prospective link from depressive symptoms to emotional eating.",

keywords = "Acting with awareness, Depressive symptoms, Emotional eating, Mediation, Mindfulness",

author = "H{\"o}ppener, {Marthe M.} and Larsen, {Junilla K.} and {van Strien}, Tatjana and Ouwens, {Machteld A.} and Winkens, {Laura H.H.} and Rob Eisinga",

year = "2019",

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AU - Larsen, Junilla K.

AU - van Strien, Tatjana

AU - Ouwens, Machteld A.

AU - Winkens, Laura H.H.

AU - Eisinga, Rob

PY - 2019/4

Y1 - 2019/4

N2 - The association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating has been well established. The aim of the current study was to examine whether the association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating was mediated by mindfulness, a construct that has successfully been implemented in the treatment of eating disorders and depression. Mindfulness, particularly, the component “acting with awareness” was theorized to decrease impulsive eating. Data from 417 Dutch adult participants were analyzed. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling in Mplus. Of the five mindfulness subcomponents, only acting with awareness mediated the association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating. Results showed complete mediation in that the effect of depression on emotional eating was entirely carried indirectly through the mediator acting with awareness. None of the other mindfulness components mediated the depressive symptoms-emotional eating link. This indicates the potential importance of the “acting with awareness” construct, explaining why depressive symptoms would be associated with emotional eating. Future prospective research should examine whether, why and for whom acting with awareness may mediate the prospective link from depressive symptoms to emotional eating.

AB - The association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating has been well established. The aim of the current study was to examine whether the association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating was mediated by mindfulness, a construct that has successfully been implemented in the treatment of eating disorders and depression. Mindfulness, particularly, the component “acting with awareness” was theorized to decrease impulsive eating. Data from 417 Dutch adult participants were analyzed. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling in Mplus. Of the five mindfulness subcomponents, only acting with awareness mediated the association between depressive symptoms and emotional eating. Results showed complete mediation in that the effect of depression on emotional eating was entirely carried indirectly through the mediator acting with awareness. None of the other mindfulness components mediated the depressive symptoms-emotional eating link. This indicates the potential importance of the “acting with awareness” construct, explaining why depressive symptoms would be associated with emotional eating. Future prospective research should examine whether, why and for whom acting with awareness may mediate the prospective link from depressive symptoms to emotional eating.

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Depressive Symptoms and Emotional Eating: Mediated by Mindfulness?

Abstract

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Keywords

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