Luca Iani1, Marco Lauriola2, Valentina Cafaro1. 1. Department of Human Sciences, European University of Rome, Rome, Italy and. 2. Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Rome, Italy.
Abstract
Background: The five facets mindfulness questionnaire-short form (FFMQ-SF) is a new, brief measure for the assessment of mindfulness skills in clinical and nonclinical samples. The construct validity of the FFMQ-SF has not been previously assessed in community samples.Aims: The present study investigated the factor structure of the Italian version of the FFMQ-SF.Method: Structured equation modeling was used to test the fit of three alternative models in a sample of highly educated adults (n = 211). Results: A hierarchical model with a single second-order factor loaded by observing, describing, and acting with awareness (i.e. the mindfulness "what" skills) performed slightly better than both a five-factor model with correlated factors and a hierarchical model with a general second-order factor. The FFMQ-SF scores were significantly higher than those reported in both Dutch depressed patients and Australian undergraduate students for all facets (but nonreactivity for the Australian sample).Conclusions: Data support the multifaceted nature of mindfulness skills. Because of its brevity and simplicity of use, the FFMQ-SF is a promising questionnaire in longitudinal and clinical research. This questionnaire can serve as a guideline to help clinicians assess and monitor mindfulness skills acquisition, strengthening, and generalization, and prioritize mindfulness skills that need immediate attention.
Background: The five facets mindfulness questionnaire-short form (FFMQ-SF) is a new, brief measure for the assessment of mindfulness skills in clinical and nonclinical samples. The construct validity of the FFMQ-SF has not been previously assessed in community samples.Aims: The present study investigated the factor structure of the Italian version of the FFMQ-SF.Method: Structured equation modeling was used to test the fit of three alternative models in a sample of highly educated adults (n = 211). Results: A hierarchical model with a single second-order factor loaded by observing, describing, and acting with awareness (i.e. the mindfulness "what" skills) performed slightly better than both a five-factor model with correlated factors and a hierarchical model with a general second-order factor. The FFMQ-SF scores were significantly higher than those reported in both Dutch depressedpatients and Australian undergraduate students for all facets (but nonreactivity for the Australian sample).Conclusions: Data support the multifaceted nature of mindfulness skills. Because of its brevity and simplicity of use, the FFMQ-SF is a promising questionnaire in longitudinal and clinical research. This questionnaire can serve as a guideline to help clinicians assess and monitor mindfulness skills acquisition, strengthening, and generalization, and prioritize mindfulness skills that need immediate attention.
Authors: Alberto Gajofatto; Valeria Donisi; Isolde Martina Busch; Francesca Gobbin; Elena Butturini; Massimiliano Calabrese; Alessandra Carcereri de Prati; Paola Cesari; Lidia Del Piccolo; Massimo Donadelli; Paolo Fabene; Stefania Fochi; Macarena Gomez-Lira; Roberta Magliozzi; Giovanni Malerba; Raffaella Mariotti; Sofia Mariotto; Chiara Milanese; Maria Grazia Romanelli; Andrea Sbarbati; Federico Schena; Maria Angela Mazzi; Michela Rimondini Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2019-08-02 Impact factor: 2.692