The chain mediating role of resilience and stress perception between mindfulness and PTSD among college students after campus violence.

Summary

Mindfulness can be a powerful buffer against trauma. After campus violence, a recent study revealed that college students with higher mindfulness levels showed greater resilience and lower stress perception. This suggests that mindfulness positively influences resilience, which then reduces perceived stress, ultimately decreasing the likelihood of PTSD symptoms. Cultivating mindfulness appears to be a key strategy for mitigating the psychological impact of traumatic events.

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.

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