Mindfulness and anxiety among medicine college students: a moderated mediation model of intolerance of uncertainty and neuroticism
Zhenglin Ji, Yujie Zhang, Xiaoxiao Xu, Xiaofan Yan, Bicheng Gao, Qi Sun, Linkai Wu, Hailong Mu, Mengxue Zhao
Psychology, Health & Medicine August 25, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2025.2539932 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 314 |
| Population | Medical students from the Army Medical University |
| Measures | Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, 7-Item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Eysenck Personality Scale-Neurotic Dimension |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | The authors report that intolerance of uncertainty mediates the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety among medical students, and that neuroticism moderates this mediation in its second stage. IU was positively associated with anxiety when neuroticism was low or moderate, but this association was not significant when neuroticism was high. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Anxiety is commonly present in medical students. Mindfulness can effectively treat anxiety, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the association between mindfulness and anxiety, and the mediation roles of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and neuroticism. This cross-sectional study enrolled medical students from the Army Medical University in April 2023. The Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, the 7-Item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Eysenck Personality Scale-Neurotic Dimension were used. The moderated mediation model was examined using SPSS PROCESS models 1, 4, 7, 14, and 58. A total of 314 participants (212 males and a mean age of 19.67 ± 1.61 years old) were included. Neuroticism was significantly negatively correlated with anxiety (r = -0.453, p < 0.01). IU played a mediating role in the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety, with a total standardized mediation effect value of −0.1348 (95% CI: −0.2071, −0.0760, P). When neuroticism was low, IU had a positive effect on anxiety (neuroticism = M-1SD) (B = 0.2887, t = 5.2043, p < 0.001). When neuroticism was moderate (B = 0.1244, t = 0.0479, p < 0.01), IU had a positive effect on anxiety. When neuroticism was high, the moderation effect was not significant (B = -0.0399, t = -0.6247, p > 0.050). Among medical college students, mindfulness influences anxiety through the mediating effect of IU. Neuroticism moderates this mediating pathway in the second stage.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety. International sample of people who reported having used a psychedelic | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 985 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Ecstasy/MDMA attributed problems reported by novice, moderate and heavy recreational users Ecstasy users who participated in a WWW study of recreational drug use | 2002 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 282 |
| 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. Adults who used 5-MeO-DMT in a group setting with structured procedures | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 362 |
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). Psychological Assessment April 11, 2011
- Dispositional mindfulness moderates the relation between neuroticism and depressive symptoms Personality and Individual Differences September 16, 2011
- The Emotion Regulation Mechanism in Neurotic Individuals: The Potential Role of Mindfulness and Cognitive Bias. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health January 4, 2023
- A Brief Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Intervention as a Population-Level Strategy for Anxiety and Depression International Journal of Cognitive Therapy April 20, 2021
and 5 more in the library