The feasibility and acceptability of mindfulness scale: Validating a new measure of common perceptions of mindfulness

Sarah L Eckstein, Tennessee State University

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is currently lacking in safe, efficacious treatment options (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Harrison, Manocha, & Rubia, 2004; Rabipour & Raz, 2012). Mindfulness has been provisionally shown in recent research to be a low-risk, effective method for reducing ADHD symptom severity (Mitchell, Zylowska, & Kollins, 2015). Nevertheless, as of yet, it is not nearly as commonly used as other treatments such as stimulant medication. The focus of the present study is to develop and validate The Feasibility and Acceptability of Mindfulness Scale (FAMS), which measures perceptions of mindfulness held by American adults with ADHD. Knowledge of ADHD treatment consumers’ perceptions of mindfulness could help treatment providers more effectively describe, market, and administer mindfulness-based interventions to this population. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted using a sample of 444 adults with and without ADHD in order to discover the factor structure underlying the FAMS. Findings revealed that the following four factors underlie the structure of the revised version of the FAMS: Executive Functioning Benefits, Emotional and Physical Health Benefits, Executive Functioning Concerns, and Disapproval of Mindfulness. A high degree of internal consistency was found within each scale. Future research is needed that confirms this factor structure and expands the assessment of its validity.

Subject Area

Personality psychology

Recommended Citation

Sarah L Eckstein, "The feasibility and acceptability of mindfulness scale: Validating a new measure of common perceptions of mindfulness" (2017). ETD Collection for Tennessee State University. Paper AAI10158701.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI10158701

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