Cognitive Reappraisal, Emotional Expression and Mindfulness in Adaptation to Bereavement: A Longitudinal Study

A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted. A sample of 397 bereaved Dutch adults (89% female, mean age 53 years) completed validated questionnaires to assess trait cognitive reappraisal, emotional expression, mindfulness, and prolonged grief and depression symptoms at baseline (T1) and 344 participants completed symptom measures again six months later (T2). Results: Zero-order correlations demonstrated that mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, and emotional expression relate negatively to T1 and T2 symptom levels.

In multiple regression analyses, controlling for relevant background variables, all emotion regulation strategies related negatively to T1 prolonged grief and depression symptoms. In multiple regression analyses, controlling for T1 symptoms and background variables, mindfulness predicted lower T2 depression symptoms. Adaptive emotion regulation strategies relate negatively to post-loss psychopathology symptoms, yet only mindfulness longitudinally predicts lower depression symptoms.

Dispositional mindfulness may be a protective factor in psychological adaptation to bereavement.