The effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention on reducing attentional bias and promoting cognitive flexibility in couples with depression

Authors
Fatemeh Behrouzfar
Elnaz Baniani
Arezoo Siahcheshm
bahareh mohammadi
Abstract
Depression in the context of couple relationships is associated with disruptions in fundamental cognitive processes, especially attentional biases and reduced cognitive flexibility, and can lead to the continuation of interpersonal conflicts and a decline in relationship quality. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention on reducing attentional bias and promoting cognitive flexibility in couples with depression. The study was conducted with a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included couples referring to a psychology clinic in Tehran in 1404, of which 30 people were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The research instruments included the Woody et al. Focus of Attention Questionnaire (1997) and the Dennis and Vanderwaal Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire (2010). The experimental group underwent mindfulness-based intervention for 10 sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance with repeated measures. The results showed that mindfulness-based intervention significantly reduced self-focused attention bias and external attention and significantly increased cognitive flexibility dimensions including alternatives, control, and alternatives to human behavior in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). These findings indicate that mindfulness-based intervention can be considered as an effective approach in couples therapy interventions and depression treatment by improving attention regulation and increasing cognitive flexibility.
Keywords
Mindfulness-based intervention
attentional bias
Cognitive Flexibility
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