Higher mindfulness is associated with lower depression in college students, both directly and indirectly through greater psychological resilience. Gender moderates the link between mindfulness and resilience: mindfulness more strongly predicts resilience in women than in men. Data came from 963 Chinese university students surveyed at three universities in Jiangxi Province in April–May 2023.
Mindfulness is linked to lower depression in college students, partly through greater meaning in life and psychological resilience. In a survey of 1,034 students, the direct effect of mindfulness on depression accounted for 61% of the total effect. Meaning in life and resilience each mediated part of the relationship, with effect amounts of 13% and 22% respectively. A chain mediation—mindfulness to meaning in life to resilience to depression—accounted for 4% of the effect. The findings suggest that mindfulness may reduce depression by enhancing both a sense of purpose and the capacity to cope with adversity.