Jo, D., & Yang, E. (2019). The role of present moment awareness and cognitive fusion with food craving in the relationship between depression and binge eating. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 13, 126-133.
Mindfulness is an important process involved in binge eating triggered by negative mood. However, the specific components of mindfulness and their differential roles in this process have not been explored. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role that two mindfulness components, namely, cognitive fusion with food craving and present moment awareness play in the relationship between depression and binge eating. A total of 228 South Korean women (M = 22.91, SD = 2.60) responded to a set of online questionnaires. The resultant data were analyzed to examine the mediating and moderating effects of cognitive fusion with food craving and present moment awareness on the relationship between depression and binge eating. The results showed that cognitive fusion with food craving significantly mediated the relationship between depression and binge eating. In addition, the interaction between present moment awareness and depression predicted the level of cognitive fusion with food craving. Depression was a stronger predictor of cognitive fusion with food craving for those with lower rather than higher levels of present moment awareness. Specifically, the positive indirect effect of cognitive fusion with food craving on the relationship between depression and binge eating was weaker for those with high levels of present moment awareness. These findings suggest that cognitive fusion with food craving is a proximal predictor of binge eating triggered by a depressed mood, while present moment awareness serves as a context which moderates the effect of depression on cognitive fusion with food craving.
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