Interconnectedness of mindfulness facets and their impact on mental health outcomes in Asian American and European American college students: A network approach.
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry October 24, 2024 DOI: 10.1037/ort0000809 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional network analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 710 |
| Population | Undergraduate students in Hawaii (445 Asian Americans, 265 European Americans) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Across both groups, describing and acting with awareness were central mindfulness facets, and acting with awareness and nonjudging were inversely associated with negative mental health outcomes. Observing showed positive associations with anxiety and stress among Asian Americans, suggesting cultural variation in how mindfulness facets function. |
Abstract
Despite extensive research supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions, the understanding of the dynamic connections between various mindfulness facets, particularly across diverse cultures, remained limited. This study aimed to investigate the networks among mindfulness aspects across different cultural backgrounds and their individual associations with mental health and well-being. Using the data collected from 710 undergraduate students in Hawaii (445 Asian Americans, 265 European Americans), we constructed sparse networks for each group to investigate their centrality index. To compare the overall structures of these networks, we utilized permutation-based tests. In addition, we used relative weight analysis to evaluate the distinct contributions of each mindfulness facet to positive and negative mental health outcomes. The results indicated similar trends in both racial groups, emphasizing the importance of specific mindfulness aspects like describing and acting with awareness within the mindfulness construct. However, notable variations were observed, particularly in how observing and nonjudging facets related among Asian Americans. In addition, acting with awareness and nonjudging showed substantial inverse associations with negative mental health outcomes across groups, whereas the observing aspect displayed positive connections with anxiety and stress among Asian Americans. The findings suggest which aspects are fundamental to mindfulness, aiding in a nuanced understanding of the construct. They also emphasize the importance of acknowledging cultural diversity in both mindfulness research and its clinical applications. Practical implications and directions for future research were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Effect of a mindfulness program on stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, social support, and life satisfaction: a quasi-experimental study in college students. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction for depression in post-stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2026