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Objectives <p>The attention bias of people with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with difficulty disengaging from negative stimuli (e.g., images of sad faces). However, the mechanism of attention bias in individuals with sub-threshold depression (sD) is less studied. The objective of this research&#xa0;was to investigate the characteristics of attention bias in sD group and the effects of mindful breathing exercise as a possible intervention method.</p> Method <p>A dot probe task, which measures attention by presenting dot probes following emotional and neutral stimuli, was used. It provides three indices based on reaction time: the bias index (BI) indicates if the participant has attention bias towards emotional stimuli; the orientation index (OI) indicates if the participant has faster reaction towards emotional stimuli, and the disengagement difficulty index (DI) indicates if the participant has more attention dwell time thus more difficulty disengaging from emotional stimuli. Facial images displaying sad, fearful, happy, and neutral expressions were used as stimuli. In Study 1, a comparison was made between sD group (<i>n</i> = 30) and healthy control (HC) group (<i>n</i> = 28); in Study 2, a comparison between two sD groups, the intervention group (<i>n</i> = 23) completed a 20-day mindful breathing exercise (15&#xa0;min per day) and the control group (<i>n</i> = 22) did not. Dot probe tasks were done before and after the intervention.</p> Results <p>In Study 1, the sD group had greater attention bias index (BI) (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), and greater disengagement difficulty index (DI) to a marginal extent (<i>p</i> = 0.07) towards sad faces than the HC group; In Study 2 post-test, the BI (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) and DI (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) of the intervention group towards sad faces were significantly smaller than the control group.</p> Conclusions <p>Individuals with sub-threshold depression have negative attention bias associated with attention disengagement difficulty towards sad faces; a 20-day mindful breathing exercise reduces the attention bias and the associated attention disengagement difficulty towards sad faces.</p>

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Effects of Mindful Breathing Exercise on Attention Bias in Chinese College Students With Sub-Threshold Depression

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年3月18日

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  • Tao Xu,
  • Yihong Zhou,
  • Yan Wang

摘要

Objectives

The attention bias of people with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with difficulty disengaging from negative stimuli (e.g., images of sad faces). However, the mechanism of attention bias in individuals with sub-threshold depression (sD) is less studied. The objective of this research was to investigate the characteristics of attention bias in sD group and the effects of mindful breathing exercise as a possible intervention method.

Method

A dot probe task, which measures attention by presenting dot probes following emotional and neutral stimuli, was used. It provides three indices based on reaction time: the bias index (BI) indicates if the participant has attention bias towards emotional stimuli; the orientation index (OI) indicates if the participant has faster reaction towards emotional stimuli, and the disengagement difficulty index (DI) indicates if the participant has more attention dwell time thus more difficulty disengaging from emotional stimuli. Facial images displaying sad, fearful, happy, and neutral expressions were used as stimuli. In Study 1, a comparison was made between sD group (n = 30) and healthy control (HC) group (n = 28); in Study 2, a comparison between two sD groups, the intervention group (n = 23) completed a 20-day mindful breathing exercise (15 min per day) and the control group (n = 22) did not. Dot probe tasks were done before and after the intervention.

Results

In Study 1, the sD group had greater attention bias index (BI) (p < 0.05), and greater disengagement difficulty index (DI) to a marginal extent (p = 0.07) towards sad faces than the HC group; In Study 2 post-test, the BI (p < 0.05) and DI (p < 0.05) of the intervention group towards sad faces were significantly smaller than the control group.

Conclusions

Individuals with sub-threshold depression have negative attention bias associated with attention disengagement difficulty towards sad faces; a 20-day mindful breathing exercise reduces the attention bias and the associated attention disengagement difficulty towards sad faces.