Assessing the mindfulness predictors of mental health: does mindfulness practise or dispositional mindfulness better protect young peoples' mental health?
Health psychology and behavioral medicine – January 01, 2024
Source: PubMed
Summary
Dispositional mindfulness significantly enhances mental health among first-year university students, with 190 participants demonstrating that higher trait mindfulness correlates with improved wellbeing. Specifically, students exhibiting greater dispositional mindfulness showed lower levels of anxiety and depression. While engagement in mindfulness activities did not show a significant effect, the findings highlight the importance of fostering innate mindfulness traits to support mental health during this challenging transitional period. This insight paves the way for developing targeted interventions to help students adapt more effectively to university life.
Abstract
University is an important time in a young person's life. Although it is a time of exploration, self-discovery and socialising, it is also a time of increased vulnerability to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that engagement in mindfulness activities can have a positive effect on mental health. However, research is limited in its scope in particular in relation to stressful (transitional) periods of life. The current study aims to address this issue by providing evidence on the predictive impact of both mindfulness practice and 'dispositional' (or trait) mindfulness on students' mental health. In total, we gathered data from 190 first-year students. A multiple regression was utilised for data analysis. This showed that 'dispositional' mindfulness, but not mindful activity had a significant impact on mental health scores. This provides data for future research into the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions for student adaptation to university and potential interventions.