A Longitudinal Training Study to Delineate the Specific Causal Effects of Open Monitoring Versus Focused Attention Techniques on Emotional Health

Abstract Background Emotional dysregulation is a core mechanism of mood disorders. Meditation-based interventions can ameliorate a wide range of psychological problems. However, in order to develop structured treatment and preventative protocols for emotional disorders, it is crucial to understand how different types of specific meditation practices improve emotion regulation abilities. Mindfulness-based techniques are broadly separated into two practices – open monitoring (OM) and focused attention (FA). This study directly investigated the potential practice-specific benefits of OM versus FA techniques as tools for improving emotion regulation skills from pre-to-post training. Method Novice participants were randomized into an 8-week long OM or FA intervention that was previously developed through a science of behavior change approach. Healthy emotional skills were assessed using experience sampling methodology and inventories. Participants were assessed before, during, and after the interventions to investigate if the type of training may explain longitudinal changes in emotional skills. Results Both OM and FA attentional training practices improved acceptance of stressors and reduced distress and rumination. We also found divergent effects of OM versus FA training: Compared to OM, FA training improved abilities to use reappraisal strategy to regulate emotions in naturalistic settings at the end of 8-weeks training. FA training (versus OM) also led to greater self-regulation abilities. Conclusion Our findings suggest that a FA training has specific causal impacts on emotion regulatory skills, and it can be selectively implemented in interventions to target emotional disorders.