Mindfulness, secure attachment, and the mediating role of emotion regulation in eating pathology

Objective: The current study aimed to examine the relative contributions of secure attachment patterns and dispositional mindfulness to eating pathology, and to investigate the possible role of emotion dysregulation as a mediator between mindfulness and eating pathology, and secure attachment and eating pathology. Method: Three hundred and twenty-seven participants completed online questionnaires assessing dispositional mindfulness, secure attachment patterns, difficulties with emotion regulation, and eating pathology. Results: As predicted, a mediation analysis revealed that significant associations between mindfulness, secure attachments and eating pathology were partially mediated by emotion regulation abilities. Although secure attachment patterns and mindfulness together accounted for a considerable amount of variance in eating pathology, mindfulness was found to be a more robust predictor, accounting for 13.54% of the variance. Discussion: The results from the current study offer preliminary support for secure attachment patterns and dispositional mindfulness as factors that have the potential to enhance resilience to developing threshold eating disorders by way of allowing more adaptive emotion regulation abilities but also in their own right. In addition, the current research highlights the central role of equanimity in emotion regulation and supports the promotion of equanimity in future prevention and treatment programs for eating pathology. Limitations of the current research and suggestions for future research are discussed.