What role does mindfulness play in regulating fear of COVID-19 and associated mental health? The results of a cross-sectional study

An online survey of 344 respondents in Taiwan examined how fear of COVID-19 relates to mental health through mindfulness. Using structural equation modeling, the authors found that orientation to experience—specifically the nonjudgment and nonreactivity facets—mediated the link between fear of COVID-19 and mental health outcomes. The results suggest that fear of COVID-19 may affect how people relate to their experiences, which in turn influences depression and anxiety. The authors propose that nonjudgment and nonreactivity play key roles in emotion regulation and recommend future experimental and longitudinal studies to confirm these mechanisms.

Study at a glance

Abstract

ObjectivesThe pandemic has greatly impacted people’s lives and mental health. Therefore, it is now especially important to help people maintain good mental health. The positive effects of mindfulness-based practices on mental health have been demonstrated previously. However, no consensus has yet been reached on the potential mechanisms of mindfulness. This study adopted the two-component model of mindfulness to explain the relationships between fear of COVID-19, and mental health. We proposed the following hypothetical model: (1) fear of COVID-19 could affect orientation to experience; (2) orientation to experience could affect mental health. Directly; (3) fear of COVID-19 could mental health directly; (4) orientation to experience could be a mediator between fear of COVID-19 and mental health.MethodsWe conducted an online survey in the present study. Three hundred and forty-four respondents were recruited to participate in the present study. After informed consent, they completed the questionnaires on the websites. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire including the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Taiwan version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data and examine the goodness-of-fit indices.ResultsOur results not only showed orientation to experience playing as a mediator between fear of COVID-19 and mental health; but also confirmed the roles of nonjudgment and nonreactivity in regulating emotions.ConclusionExperimentation and longitudinal study could be applied to examine the roles of nonjudgment and nonreactivity in the future.