Reduced stress among COVID-symptomatic undergraduates: act with awareness, nonjudgment, and nonreactivity as key facets of mindfulness
Zoe Sirotiak, J. Adamowicz, E. B. Thomas
Adolescent Psychiatry May 13, 2024 DOI: 10.2174/0122106766288982240509041026 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 516 |
| Population | University students experiencing at least one CDC-identified COVID-19 symptom during the 2020–2021 pandemic |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The mindfulness facets of acting with awareness, nonjudgment, and nonreactivity were associated with general stress, and the model accounted for over half of the variance in general stress (R2 = 0.51). The authors suggest mindfulness may be particularly important for understanding stress among college students reporting a COVID-19 symptom. |
Abstract
Objective: Associations between mindfulness and improved physical and psychological health have been established, but COVID-19 presents a novel context. This study examined the relation between individual mindfulness facets and general stress among college students experiencing at least one symptom of acute COVID-19 infection in the context of the pandemic.
Methods: Five hundred sixteen university students experiencing at least one CDC-identified COVID-19 symptom completed measures of general stress, mindfulness, and somatic symptoms in 2020–2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic following IRB approval and informed consent.
Results: The act with awareness, nonjudgment, and nonreactivity facets of mindfulness were associated with general stress. In total, the model accounted for over half of the variance in general stress (R2 = 0.51, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Mindfulness may be particularly important in explaining general stress among college students reporting a symptom of COVID-19. Mindfulness may benefit college students as the pandemic continues to unfold and monitoring of one’s physical health remains a primary mitigation strategy. These results may also inform understanding and responses to future public health emergencies in which monitoring somatic symptoms is encouraged by public health officials to contain spread.
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 11
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Mindfulness meditation alleviates depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia: Results of a randomized clinical trial Arthritis Care & Research January 31, 2007
- Feasibility of a Brief Online Mindfulness and Compassion-Based Intervention to Promote Mental Health Among University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic Mindfulness May 17, 2021
- Mindfulness as a way to cope with COVID‐19‐related stress and anxiety December 13, 2020
- A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Student Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR Mental Health December 2, 2020
and 6 more in the library