The Association between exposure to COVID-19, internalizing symptoms, and Dispositional Mindfulness in Adolescents: a longitudinal pre- and during-pandemic study.
Estíbaliz Royuela-Colomer, Liria Fernández-González, Izaskun Orue, Esther Calvete
Child Psychiatry and Human Development April 15, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01349-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 383 |
| Population | Spanish adolescents (58% female; mean age 15.62 years, SD 1.32) |
| Duration | Two assessments, in October 2019 and 2020 |
| Measures | MAAS-A, DASS-21 |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Personality Female Pandemics Covid-19 Adolescents Internalizing symptoms Dispositional mindfulness |
| Key findings | Contact with COVID-19 predicted increased internalizing symptoms in adolescents. Compared with little or no contact, both contact profiles predicted dispositional mindfulness and anxiety, and knowing someone close who was infected, hospitalized, or died also predicted stress. Dispositional mindfulness mediated the association between both contact profiles and depression and stress. |
Abstract
This study examined the association between contact with COVID-19 and internalizing symptoms in Spanish adolescents, and the moderation and mediation roles of dispositional mindfulness. Adolescents (N = 383; 58% female; Mage = 15.62, SD = 1.32) completed measures of dispositional mindfulness (MAAS-A) and internalizing symptoms (DASS-21), other stressors different from COVID-19, and contact with COVID-19 twice, in October 2019 and 2020. Three profiles emerged according to their contact with COVID-19: (1) little/no contact, (2) knowing someone close (outside home) who was infected, hospitalized, or died, and (3) being or someone at home being infected and/or hospitalized. Compared to little/no contact, both contact profiles predicted dispositional mindfulness and anxiety; and profile 2 predicted stress. Dispositional mindfulness mediated the association between both contact profiles and depression and stress. This study suggests that contact with COVID-19 predicts increased internalizing symptoms in adolescents, which could be partially explained by the decrease in mindfulness levels.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Adolescents’ health-related quality of life during COVID-19: the role of dispositional mindfulness, emotion regulation, and psychological distress Current Psychology July 18, 2025
- Dispositional Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Buffer the Effects of COVID-19 Stress on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Mindfulness December 1, 2022
Cites 2
- Assessing adolescent mindfulness: Validation of an Adapted Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in adolescent normative and psychiatric populations. Psychological Assessment 2011
- Fear of COVID-19 and Mental Health: The Role of Mindfulness in During Times of Crisis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction April 26, 2021