Examining the role of mindfulness as a potential mediator of the relationship between gender role and disordered eating

Abstract

Mindfulness has garnered empirical support in the treatment of both anxiety and depression, and more recently, in the treatment of binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. Research, however, has not yet explored the role of dispositional mindfulness; namely, mindfulness without the benefit of formal training, as a protective factor against disordered eating. This study explored the role of dispositional mindfulness as a mediator of the relationship between gender role and disordered eating. The results of this research suggest that while mindfulness is associated with lower levels of disordered eating, it does not mediate the relationship between gender role and disordered eating, as was hypothesized. The implications of these findings will be discussed within the context of mental health.