The Role of Trait Mindfulness in the Association between Loneliness and Psychological Distress

Abstract Objectives Loneliness is associated with elevated psychological distress. This study examined whether trait mindfulness mediates or moderates the positive association between loneliness and psychological distress.

Method: A convenience sample of 297 adults (79.1% female, 20.5% male) aged 18 to 75 years (M = 38.38, SD = 11.31) completed an online questionnaire that assessed loneliness, trait mindfulness and its facets (Non-Judging, Awareness, Non-Reactivity, Describing, Observing), and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress).

Results: Mediation analysis identified an indirect path from loneliness to psychological distress through trait mindfulness. Participants who reported greater loneliness reported lower trait mindfulness that, in turn, tended to associate with greater psychological distress. Multiple mediation analysis found indirect paths via Non-Judging, Awareness, Non-Reactivity, and Describing. Moderation analysis found that the association between loneliness and psychological distress was significant for participants with low trait mindfulness but non-significant for those with high trait mindfulness. However, analysis of the mindfulness facets as simultaneous moderators found that no facet individually moderated the association. Rather, all contributed to a cumulative interactive role of the composite mindfulness construct. A supplementary analysis found that lower levels of loneliness mediated the association between mindfulness and psychological distress.

Conclusions: A tendency to respond to loneliness with low levels of Non-Judging, Awareness, Non-Reactivity, and Describing may exacerbate distress. These results suggest that future research may benefit from investigating whether interventions that increase these mindfulness facets may mitigate psychological distress associated with loneliness.