The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing Depression During COVID-19 At-home Treatment.
Geurim Go, Su Young Lee, Chan-Hyung Kim, Jhin Goo Chang
Disaster medicine and public health preparedness April 16, 2025 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2025.82 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMindfulness partially mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression in patients undergoing at-home treatment. An online survey of 380 COVID-19 patients from February to April 2022 measured fear of COVID-19, mindfulness, and depression using validated scales. Each variable was significantly correlated. Hierarchical regression showed that the association between fear of COVID-19 and depression decreased from 0.377 to 0.255 when mindfulness was included, indicating partial mediation. The indirect effect of mindfulness accounted for 32.3% of the total effect. Interventions promoting mindfulness may benefit the mental health of patients with acute COVID-19.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey with mediation analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 380 |
| Population | COVID-19 patients undergoing at-home treatment in February to April 2022 |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Fear of covid-19 Isolation Stress |
| Key finding | Mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression, accounting for 32.3% of the total effect. |
Abstract
Mindfulness is a promising psychological resource that can alleviate dysfunctional fear responses and promote mental health. We investigated how mindfulness affects fear and depression in isolated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and whether it acts as a mediator. We conducted an online survey of COVID-19 patients undergoing at-home treatment from February to April 2022. The survey included a questionnaire on fear of COVID-19 (measured by the Fear of COVID-19 Scale), mindfulness (measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), and depression (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire). A total of 380 participants completed the questionnaire. We analyzed the correlation between each variable and performed a mediation analysis using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping to verify the statistical significance of the mediating effects. Each variable was significantly correlated. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the association between the fear of COVID-19 and depression decreased from 0.377-0.255, suggesting that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression. Bootstrapping analysis showed that the indirect effect of the mediating variable (mindfulness) is 0.121, which accounts for 32.3% of the total effect. Interventions that promote mindfulness in patients with acute COVID-19 may be beneficial for their mental health.