The role of mindfulness and compassion in early adults' subsequent mental health, coping and compliance with health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective longitudinal study.
Natalia Van Doren, Christa T Mahlobo, Brian M. Galla, Blake A Colaianne, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Karen Kurotsuchi Inkelas, Robert W Roeser
Social and Personality Psychology Compass August 24, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12870 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 736 |
| Population | US college students |
| Duration | Three-wave longitudinal study across a single academic year; third wave in May 2020 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Coping Health behavior Well-being Compassion Social distancing Covid-19 Internalized distress |
| Key findings | Trait mindfulness was associated with better coping via indirect effects of greater well-being and lower internalized distress, and greater compassion was linked with greater adherence to CDC guidelines. The authors suggest these traits may play a role in coping and compliance during the pandemic. |
Abstract
The present study explored prospective links between trait mindfulness and compassion on subsequent coping and compliance with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and indirect effects via well-being and internalized distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included N = 736 US college students who participated in a three-wave longitudinal study across a single academic year. The first two assessment waves took place in 2018 and 2019, respectively, while the third wave took place in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed self-report measures of trait mindfulness, compassion, well-being, internalized distress, coping, and compliance with CDC health guidelines. Results of a series of autoregressive, cross-lagged panel models revealed that trait mindfulness was associated with better coping via indirect effects of greater well-being and lower internalized distress. Greater compassion was linked with greater adherence to CDC guidelines. Findings suggest that trait mindfulness and compassion may play a role in college students' coping and compliance during the pandemic.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |