Mindfulness as a Protective Factor Against Depression, Anxiety and Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Emotion Regulation and Insomnia Symptoms as Mediators
Frontiers in Psychology April 1, 2022 André Mamede, Inge Merkelbach, G. Noordzij et al.
Mindfulness is linked to better mental health, and this study examined why. Surveying 493 adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors found that mindfulness was associated with lower depression, anxiety, and psychological distress, both directly and through indirect pathways. Specifically, mindfulness was negatively associated with rumination and insomnia, which in turn were linked to fewer mental health problems. Rumination also increased insomnia, creating a chain of effects. For depression only, mindfulness was positively associated with cognitive reappraisal and negatively with suppression, which were respectively linked to fewer and more depressive symptoms. The authors suggest that targeting emotion regulation and sleep in mindfulness interventions could improve mental health.