Adolescents’ health-related quality of life during COVID-19: the role of dispositional mindfulness, emotion regulation, and psychological distress
Sofia Magalhães, Isabel Rasteiro, Inês Soeiro, Carolina Carvalheiras, São Luís Castro, Teresa Leal, Teresa Limpo
Current Psychology July 18, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-025-08088-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,343 |
| Population | Portuguese-speaking students from Grade 5 to 12 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Adolescents' dispositional mindfulness was related to higher health-related quality of life directly and indirectly through greater use of cognitive reappraisal and less use of expressive suppression, which in turn were associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. The authors argue that promoting mindfulness and emotion regulation may foster adolescent mental health and quality of life during difficult times. |
Abstract
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly interfered with young people’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL), increasing the vulnerability of this population. As a result, researchers have been emphasizing the necessity to ascertain the protective factors against the pandemic impact. Still, little is known about these factors in adolescence. Pre-pandemic studies showed that dispositional mindfulness and emotion regulation could protect mental health and well-being. Thus, this cross-sectional study explored the relationships between dispositional mindfulness, emotion regulation, psychological distress, and HRQoL during COVID-19. The measures used to evaluate these variables were administered to 1,343 Portuguese-speaking students from Grade 5 to 12. Structural equation modelling analyses showed that adolescents’ dispositional mindfulness was related to higher HRQoL directly and indirectly through a greater employment of cognitive reappraisal and fewer employment of expressive suppression, which, in turn, was associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. These findings emphasize the importance of promoting adolescents’ dispositional mindfulness and emotion regulation to foster their mental health and, in turn, their HRQoL in difficult times.
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
Cites 13
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). Psychological Assessment April 11, 2011
and 8 more in the library