Exploring the Optimal Factor Structure of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire: Associations Between Mindfulness Facets and Transdiagnostic Factors
Objectives: The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) assesses five components of mindfulness. Studies of the FFMQ among clinical samples, however, fail to replicate the proposed factor structure. Failure to adequately understand the dimensionality of common mindfulness measures within clinical samples, therefore, represents an important gap in the current literature. The increasing popularity of mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) warrants further investigation of differential associations between facets of mindfulness and different forms of psychopathology. Methods: We examined (1) the underlying structure of the FFMQ and FFMQ SF and (2) associations between mindfulness facets and transdiagnostic factors of psychopathology (i.e. internalizing and substance use disorders) in two large clinical samples (N 2,779) Results: Though bass ackwards analyses determined that 6 factor models provided the best fit to the data, the 5 factor model was optimal in terms of fit and parsimony. Exploratory structural equation modeling revealed that all FFMQ facets were associated with the internalizing factor. Associations with substance use disorders were more complex. Conclusions: Mindfulness covariance within the FFMQ and the FFMQ SF is best explained by a 5 factor model, with facets of mindfulness defined correspondingly to the original scale. While deficits in all FFMQ facets with the exception of observe are typical of internalizing psychopathology, a more nuanced association may be observed with substance use disorders. These results also bear implications for psychopathology intervention; while general mindfulness based interventions might be appropriate for internalizing disorders, more specialized focus for externalizing psychopathology might be beneficial.