The chain mediating role of resilience and stress perception between mindfulness and PTSD among college students after campus violence.
Qi Sun, Kaiyuan Jing, Xiaoxiao Xu, Bicheng Gao, Yawen Tan, Xiaofan Yan, Linkai Wu, Zhenglin Ji, Hailong Mu, Mengxue Zhao
BMC Psychiatry May 20, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-025-06933-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 314 |
| Population | College students from a university following a violent campus event |
| Topics | Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Campus violence Stress perception Mindfulness: cultivating mindfulness Higher mindfulness levels Buffer against trauma Mitigating psychological impact Resilience: greater resilience Positively influences resilience Reduces perceived stress |
| Key findings | Mindfulness is associated with lower PTSD symptoms through the sequential mediating effects of greater resilience and lower perceived stress. |
Abstract
Despite extensive research on mindfulness, there is a dearth of studies exploring its impact on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through the intermediaries of psychological resilience and perceived stress. In response to a violent campus event, this article investigates the association between mindfulness levels among college students and the presence of PTSD using a sequential mediation model. We recruited 324 participants from a university following a violent event and collected 314 valid data. All the participants signed the informed consent and completed self-report measures of mindfulness (MASS), stress perception (PSS), resilience (CD-RISC) and PTSD (PCL-5). The SPSS PROCESS model 6 was utilized to investigate the chain mediation model. (1) There exists a notable positive correlation between mindfulness and resilience (r = 0.45, p < 0.01), while a significant negative correlation is observed between mindfulness and stress perception (r = -.55, p < 0.01), as well as PTSD (r = -.51, p < 0.01). (2) Resilience (effect = -0.1109) and stress perception (effect = -0.1359) play a mediating role between mindfulness and PTSD, respectively. (3) Stress perception is predicted by resilience (β = -0.62, t = -15.96, p < 0.001). (4) Stress perception and resilience play a chain mediating role between mindfulness and PTSD (effect = -0.1301). In the aftermath of the campus violence incident, PTSD experienced by college students can be affected by mindfulness through a chain mediating effect of stress perception and resilience.
Comparable studies
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| Coping motives mediate the relationship between PTSD and MDMA use in adolescents with substance use disorders German adolescent SUD patients aged 13–18 years at an outpatient clinic | 2022 | Cross-sectional study | n = 111 |
| Risk factors of sleep paralysis in a population of Polish students. Polish university students under 35 | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 2,553 |
| Expert opinions on implementation of MDMA-assisted therapy in Europe: critical appraisal towards training, clinical practice, and regulation. Researchers and clinicians involved in MDMA-AT clinical trials and contributors to the... | 2024 | Survey | n = 68 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- The efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention 3 for PTSD symptoms in patients with PTSD：A meta-analysis of 4 randomized controlled trials. Stress and Health March 6, 2022
- Direct and indirect effects of mindfulness, PTSD, and depression on self-stigma of mental illness in OEF/OIF veterans. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy December 5, 2019
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review PLoS One January 24, 2018
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as a Standalone Intervention for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Mixed Traumatic Events: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study Frontiers in Psychology September 5, 2017
and 1 more in the library