Skip to content

The relationships between dispositional mindfulness and coping flexibility in the general population

Alexa Michelle Danyluk

oURspace September 1, 2025 DOI: 10.82465/7678 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cross-sectional study Peer reviewed
Sample size 499
Population Adults residing in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom (56.5% cis-women; mean age 39.76)
Measures GAD-7, PHQ-9, PSS, SCS-SF, RRS-10, CFI, FFMQ-15, SFCS, SCS-10
Topics Meditation
Key findings Dispositional mindfulness scores showed a strong positive association with coping flexibility at the fitness level, and all mindfulness facets were positively associated with fitness-level flexibility. Perceived coping flexibility at repertoire and fitness levels was negatively correlated with anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, while behavioral task scores were positively correlated with perceived stress. Self-compassion and cognitive flexibility mediated relationships between mindfulness (including Observing, Describing, and Nonreactivity facets) and coping flexibility at repertoire and fitness levels.

Abstract

Ineffectual coping with stressors can result in a range of mental health issues, but the ability to deploy effective coping strategies that best match specific stressors (i.e., coping flexibility) may protect against these effects. While predictors of coping flexibility are under-researched, preliminary findings support a link between dispositional mindfulness and coping flexibility in students. This study extended previous research by employing a community sample to explore the nuanced relationship between dispositional mindfulness and its correlates with coping flexibility. Adults (N = 499; Cis-women % = 56.5; Mage = 39.76) residing in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom completed online self-report measures of anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), perceived stress (PSS), self-compassion (SCS-SF), rumination (RRS-10), cognitive flexibility (CFI), dispositional mindfulness (FFMQ-15), and perceived coping flexibility (SFCS and SCS-10), followed by a coping flexibility task. Pearson’s product-moment correlation analysis and hierarchical multiple regressions were employed to examine the relationships between (a) dispositional mindfulness and coping flexibility; (b) facets of dispositional mindfulness and coping flexibility; (c) coping flexibility and psychological disorder symptoms; (d) whether dispositional mindfulness and facet scores predict coping flexibility scores over and above variance accounted for by sociodemographic and psychological characteristics; and (e) whether rumination, cognitive flexibility, and self-compassion mediate the relationship between dispositional mindfulness (and facets) and coping flexibility. We found that (a) dispositional mindfulness scores had a strong, positive association with coping flexibility scores at the fitness level (employing strategies that fit the characteristics of a stressor); (b) scores on all facets of dispositional mindfulness were positively associated with coping flexibility scores at the fitness level; (c) perceived coping flexibility scores at the repertoire (volume of coping strategies employed) and fitness levels were negatively correlated with anxiety, depression, and perceived stress scores. Perceived coping flexibility scores at the variability level (varying coping strategies across situations) were negatively correlated with depression and perceived stress scores. Behavioural task scores of coping flexibility were positively correlated with perceived stress scores. Observing facet scores of the FFMQ predicted coping flexibility fitness scores over and above variance accounted for by sociodemographic and psychological characteristics. Further, self-compassion and cognitive flexibility scores mediated the relationships between dispositional mindfulness, FFMQ-Observing, FFMQ-Describing, and FFMQ-Nonreactivity scores and coping flexibility scores at the repertoire and fitness levels. By examining the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and coping flexibility in the general population, this project clarified the nature of the relationships between these variables while shedding light on the mechanisms by which mindfulness promotes adaptive functioning. Findings can inform future research efforts on the utility of mindfulness-based interventions to promote coping flexibility and reduce symptoms of psychological distress. Keywords: coping, mindfulness, depression, anxiety, stress

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 24

and 19 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

Meditation