Nonattachment and mindfulness: Related but distinct constructs.

In this study, we examined whether nonattachment, a relatively new construct in the mindfulness literature, showed convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity in relation to the well-studied 5 facets of mindfulness. Mindfulness was defined as a multifaceted construct including observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity; and measured using the recently validated, 20-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Tran, Glück, & Nader, 2013; Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006). Nonattachment was defined as a flexible, balanced way of relating to one's experiences without clinging to or suppressing them, and measured using the 7-item Nonattachment Scale (NAS-7; Elphinstone, Sahdra, & Ciarrochi, 2015; Sahdra, Shaver, & Brown, 2015). In a large nationally representative sample of Americans (N = 7,884; 52% women; age, M = 47.9, SD = 16), nonattachment was positively related to all 5 aspects of mindfulness. Structural equation modeling showed that the 20-item FFMQ and NAS-7 showed good fit; their factor structures were invariant across genders and age groups; and NAS-7 was empirically distinguishable from the 5 mindfulness facets. Hierarchical regression models provided evidence of the incremental validity of NAS-7. Finally, mediation models showed that nonattachment substantially mediated the links between the mindfulness facets and the outcome variables of satisfaction with life and life effectiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).