The protective influence of trait mindfulness on psychological distress: the mediating role of negative cognition.
Jenna M Wilson, Jerin Lee, JoNell Strough, Natalie J. Shook
Cognition & Emotion June 12, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2026.2683900 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of two two-wave longitudinal studies Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | U.S. adults surveyed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Duration | Two-wave longitudinal design with an initial pre-pandemic survey and a follow-up survey during the pandemic |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Pessimism Negatively biased cognition |
| Key findings | Across two studies, higher pre-pandemic trait mindfulness prospectively predicted less psychological distress during the pandemic after controlling for pre-pandemic distress. Lower pessimism during the pandemic mediated the association between greater pre-pandemic trait mindfulness and lower pandemic distress. The authors suggest mindfulness may protect against or reduce distress by decreasing negatively biased cognition. |
Abstract
Mindfulness has been linked to lower psychological distress. Yet, it remains unclear how, or the mechanism(s) by which, mindfulness reduces psychological distress, particularly during times of heightened, prolonged stress. The present research utilised secondary analysis of data from two independent studies to 1) assess whether greater trait mindfulness protected U.S. adults against psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2) test whether negatively biased cognition (pessimism) mediated the association between trait mindfulness and psychological distress. Both studies utilised a two-wave longitudinal design with an initial survey conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and a follow-up survey conducted during the pandemic. Participants completed validated measures of trait mindfulness, negatively biased cognition (i.e. pessimism), and psychological distress (i.e. anxiety and depression symptoms). Across two studies, pre-pandemic levels of trait mindfulness prospectively predicted less psychological distress during the pandemic, controlling for pre-pandemic psychological distress. Further, lower pessimism during the pandemic mediated the association between greater pre-pandemic trait mindfulness and lower psychological distress during the pandemic. These findings suggest that mindfulness may protect against, or reduce, psychological distress by decreasing negatively biased cognition. As such, mindfulness and negatively biased cognition may be important targets for interventions aimed at promoting psychological health.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Meta-analytic evidence for effects of mindfulness training on dimensions of self-reported dispositional mindfulness. Psychological Assessment 2016
- The Effect of a Brief Mindfulness Intervention on Memory for Positively and Negatively Valenced Stimuli Mindfulness February 7, 2011
- Does mindfulness attenuate thoughts emphasizing negativity, but not positivity? Journal of Research in Personality December 1, 2014
and 7 more in the library