Awareness as a key component of mindfulness reduces psychological stress in adolescents: Evidence from multi-method studies.
Yaoyao Zhang, Xin Liu, Huimin Wu, Mingxin Shi, Cheng Guo
Behaviour Research and Therapy November 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2025.104877 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey study, randomized controlled trial, cross-sectional observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3,304 |
| Population | Adolescents (mean age 15.53 years in Study 1, 15.07 in Study 2, 16.77 in Study 3) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Adolescents Awareness Conflict monitoring Psychological stress |
| Key findings | Awareness alone reduced psychological stress in adolescents more than awareness combined with acceptance, and conflict monitoring mediated the relationship between awareness and stress. |
Abstract
The components of mindfulness include awareness and acceptance. However, the effects of awareness and acceptance on psychological stress in adolescents remain controversial, and the underlying cognitive processes less attention. Therefore, this study aimed to examine their independent effects, and the relevant cognitive processes. A cross-sectional survey study (Study 1, N = 3304, Mage = 15.53 years) employed regression models to examine the relationships between awareness, acceptance, and psychological stress. A randomized controlled trial (Study 2, N = 304, Mage = 15.07 years) was conducted by randomly assigning participants to four groups: an awareness group (MA), an awareness and acceptance group (MA + A), an active control group (AC), and a blank control group (BL). Study 2 aimed to examine the effects of awareness and acceptance on adolescents' psychological stress. A cross-sectional observational study (Study 3, N = 111, Mage = 16.77 years) was conducted to examine the non-temporal mediating role of attention control. Study 1 indicated that both awareness and acceptance were negatively associated with psychological stress, with awareness showing a stronger negative relationship. Study 2 showed that adolescents' psychological stress improved in both the MA and MA + A groups, with the MA group showing a more significant reduction than both the MA + A (d = -0.23) and BL groups (d = -0.56). Study 3 showed that conflict monitoring of attention control played a non-temporal mediating role in the relationship between awareness and psychological stress in adolescents. This study emphasizes the importance of awareness and conflict monitoring in developing mindfulness-based stress reduction programs for adolescents.