The relationship between mindfulness and mental distress in Chinese people during the COVID-19 pandemic: Moderating effects of infection severity of region and mediating effects of resilience and self-efficacy
Wendy Wen Li, D.J. Miller, Timothy Yong Qun Leow, Carolyn Heward, Yahong Li, Fang Yang, Huizhen Yu
Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology 2023 DOI: 10.1177/18344909231192765 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,201 |
| Population | Adults aged 18-78 (mean 29.62 years) living in 107 cities in China during the early COVID-19 pandemic |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness, resilience, and self-efficacy were each negatively associated with stress, anxiety, and depression, and positively correlated with one another. Regional COVID-19 infection severity did not moderate the mindfulness-distress relationship, while resilience and self-efficacy mediated it, suggesting these two factors partly explain how mindfulness relates to lower mental distress. |
Abstract
The current study investigated the moderating effects of COVD-19 infection severity of region of residence, and the mediating effects of resilience and self-efficacy, on the relationship between mindfulness and mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1,220 participants from 107 cities in China took part in a cross-sectional survey. The data were collected during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (from April 10 to June 10, 2020). The final sample comprised of 1,201 participants with a mean age of 29.62 (SD = 12.72; Range = 18–78). Participants were categorized into high, moderate, and low infection-severity areas according to the numbers of infected people and deaths in their residential areas as of April 16, 2020. The findings showed that mindfulness, resilience, and self-efficacy were negatively associated with the mental distress indicators of stress, anxiety, and depression and that mindfulness, resilience, and self-efficacy positively correlated to one another. COVID-19 infection severity in one's region of residence did not moderate the negative associations between mindfulness and stress, anxiety and depression, while resilience and self-efficacy mediated the negative relationship between mindfulness and mental distress. This study therefore sheds light on some of the mechanisms by which mindfulness helps individuals maintain good mental health in times of adversity. The inclusion of mindfulness, resilience, and self-efficacy in the design and implementation of mental health intervention in response to the pandemic and future public health crisis may help mitigate some of the mental problems related to the COVID-19 and future pandemics.
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
Cited by 2
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on depression, PTSD, and mindfulness among military veterans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Open 2024
- A Systematic Review on the State of the Art of Culturally Adapted Mindfulness-Based Interventions for First Nations Peoples: Cultural Adaptation, Effectiveness, and Feasibility Mindfulness September 1, 2024
Cites 11
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mechanisms of Mindfulness in the General Population Mindfulness July 1, 2018
- The effects of mindfulness-based interventions in COVID-19 times: a systematic review Journal of Human Growth and Development June 23, 2022
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the mental health, HbA1C, and mindfulness of diabetes patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being February 28, 2023
and 6 more in the library