VINCULAÇÃO ROMÂNTICA E BEM-ESTAR INDIVIDUAL E RELACIONAL: O PAPEL MEDIADOR DO MINDFULNESS INDIVIDUAL VS. RELACIONAL

Abstract

A investigação tem sido consistente ao demonstrar os benefícios individuais do mindfulness, em populações clínicas e não clínicas. Recentemente, o estudo de diferentes tipos de mindfulness, mais concretamente, mindfulness no contexto romântico, quais as suas implicações e como pode diferir do conceito tradicional de mindfulness individual, surgiu. No presente estudo, com recurso a dois modelos de mediação múltipla paralela, analisámos a associação entre as duas dimensões da vinculação romântica (ansiedade e evitamento) e os indicadores de bem-estar individual (qualidade de vida) e relacional (ajustamento diádico), através das diferentes formas de mindfulness. A amostra deste estudo foi composta por 543 participantes, maioritariamente do sexo feminino (85.8%), que estavam numa relação amorosa sem viver junto, em média, há cerca de sete anos. A bateria de avaliação foi composta pelos seguintes instrumentos: Experiences in Close Relationships – Relationship Structures, EUROHIS-QOL-8, Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale e Relationship Mindfulness Measure. Os nossos resultados mostraram uma associação negativa entre as duas dimensões de vinculação e os indicadores de qualidade de vida e ajustamento diádico. Os resultados apontam ainda para o diferente papel dos dois tipos de mindfulness enquanto mediadores das associações em estudo, destacando-se a associação entre o evitamento e o ajustamento diádico, através do mindfulness relacional, bem como do evitamento com a qualidade de vida, através do mindfulness individual, refletindo a possibilidade de distinção entre os dois tipos de mindfulness e realçando a importância de compreender melhor o mindfulness relacional, com vista à sua aplicabilidade no contexto das intervenções psicológicas dirigidas a pessoas com dificuldades nas relações amorosas.

Over the past decades, research has been consistently showing the importance of mindfulness-based interventions on improving individual health and wellbeing in clinical and nonclinical settings. More recently, the study of different types of mindfulness has been growing, particularly mindfulness in the context of romantic relationships, how it differs from the traditional concept of mindfulness, and which are its implications in relationship dynamics, as well as its potential in the therapeutical setting. Throughout two models of parallel multiple mediation, our study aimed to investigate the mediating role of individual and relational mindfulness on the association between attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, quality of life and dyadic adjustment. The sample consisted of 543 participants, mostly female (85.8%), who were not cohabitating with their partner, and who were in a romantic relationship for approximately seven years. The research protocol included the following self-report measures: Experiences in Close Relationships – Relationship Structures, EUROHIS-QOL-8, Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale e Relationship Mindfulness Measure. Our results showed negative associations between attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, quality of life and dyadic adjustment. Our findings also indicated that avoidance was strongly associated with lower quality of life, through lower levels of individual mindfulness. Avoidance was also associated with lower dyadic adjustment, through mindfulness in the relationship. These findings enhanced our understanding of the different types of mindfulness and associated outcomes, suggesting that relational mindfulness has potential implications in the therapeutical setting for individuals who struggle in romantic relationships.