The Role of Dispositional Mindfulness in the Impact of Repetitive Negative Thinking on Anxiety and Depression in People with Different Autistic-Like Traits

Abstract

Objectives: Available data suggest that inflexible allocation of attention in people on the autism spectrum can lead to anxiety and depression symptoms, through the increase of repetitive negative thinking (worry and rumination). In the present study, we used dispositional mindfulness as a proxy to attention flexibility and tested its role in the influence of repetitive negative thinking on affective symptoms (anxiety and depression) in people with different autistic-like traits. Method: Path analysis was used to test the direct and indirect effects of different autistic-like traits, dispositional mindfulness, worry and rumination on anxiety-related concerns and depression symptoms in a sample (n = 209) of neurotypical adults. Results: Autistic-like traits implying poor attention switching and communication abilities were linked to higher dispositional mindfulness, increased repetitive thinking, and stronger affective symptoms through largely shared pathways. Autistic-like traits implying strong attention-to-detail bypassed dispositional mindfulness in the pathways linking increased repetitive negative thinking and stronger affective symptoms. Conclusions: The present findings indicate that dispositional mindfulness can play a protective role against the impact of worry and rumination on affective symptoms in some people but not in others, depending on different autistic-like traits. Preregistration: This study was not pre-registered.