Latent profile analysis of mindfulness and experiential avoidance associated with social media use disorder.
BMC Psychology June 8, 2026 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-04961-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using latent profile analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 826 |
| Population | University students aged 18 to 25, 348 male (42%) and 478 female (58%), mean age 21.3 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness was negatively correlated with social media use disorder and with experiential avoidance, while social media use disorder was positively correlated with experiential avoidance. Latent profile analysis yielded four profiles describing how social media use disorder, cognitive and emotional awareness, and experiential avoidance co-occur in university students. |
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to examine mindfulness and experiential avoidance as profile indicators associated with social media use disorder through an individual-centered approach. Therefore, we examined how mindfulness and experiential avoidance co-occur with social media use disorder within a theoretically informed framework.
Methods: The study data were obtained from 826 participants, 348 (42%) male and 478 (58%) female. The participants' ages varied from 18 to 25, with a mean age of 21.3 (df = 1.8). The associations between the variables were investigated using correlation analysis. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to find university student profiles.
Results: As a result of the correlation analysis, mindfulness is negatively correlated with both social media disorder and experiential avoidance. Social media disorder is positively correlated experiential avoidance.
Conclusions: The four profiles obtained from LPA express the pattern in university students by examining social media use disorder, cognitive and emotional conscious awareness and experiential avoidance behavior together. Future research should examine whether this pattern can be observed among students in different developmental periods and education levels. The characteristics that differentiate individuals in the profiles from each other can be retested in similar samples using the repeatability feature of LPA.
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 8
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
- The Effect of Mindfulness-based Programs on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Neuropsychology Review August 4, 2021
- The Turkish Version of the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised Europe’s Journal of Psychology October 8, 2012
- Mindfulness skills and experiential avoidance as therapeutic mechanisms for treatment-resistant depression through mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and lifestyle modification. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
and 3 more in the library