Mindful awareness and its association with cumulative adversity, autonomic reactivity, and current functioning.

Background: Prior adversity may retune autonomic regulation and impede the ability to access a calm physiological state that would support mindful awareness, which is the facet of mindfulness focused on being present and accepting of the current moment. We investigated (1) how mindful awareness relates to cumulative adversity, autonomic reactivity, and current functioning; and (2) whether mindful awareness ameliorates the negative impact of cumulative adversity and autonomic reactivity on current functioning.

Methods: Participants ( = 1,542; ages 18-88) reported living in the United States and experiencing at least one adversity. They completed online measures assessing their mindful awareness, cumulative adversity, autonomic reactivity, dysfunctional coping strategies, emotional distress, and PTSD symptoms.

Results: Regression analyses revealed that the strongest predictor of greater mindful awareness was lower autonomic reactivity, which minimized the impact of cumulative adversity. Mediational analyses suggested that autonomic reactivity may mediate the relationship between cumulative adversity and mindful awareness. Regression analysis suggested higher autonomic reactivity remained the strongest predictor of poorer current functioning.

Conclusion: Our research suggests that individuals with adversity histories may need to address both their mindful awareness and autonomic dysregulation to improve their current functioning.