Mindfulness does not grow along one simple curve
A longitudinal study links higher starting anxiety with slower growth in reported mindfulness, without establishing cause.
A Journal of Affective Disorders paper in the issue dated 1 November examines mindfulness development during a four-week, self-paced online course. Georgia Southern University researchers Veronica O’Brien and Nicolette Rickert recruited 274 participants and modelled how initial psychological symptoms related to changes in reported mindfulness.
A pattern is not a verdict on a student
Higher baseline anxiety was associated with higher initial in-session mindfulness but slower growth over the course. Growth in moment-to-moment mindfulness was also associated with higher everyday mindfulness at the end. These findings describe relationships in a longitudinal model, not a simple claim that anxious beginners always start lower.
Without a control condition, the study cannot establish that the course caused the changes or identify the best format for a particular student. Nor does it justify excluding anxious people from self-guided practice. For teachers, it offers a reason to ask how someone experiences a practice over time, rather than assuming that a single starting score explains what support they need.
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