Relative Impact of Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Psychological Resilience on Mental Health Outcomes in Racially Minoritized Adults.

In a cross-sectional analysis of 169 racially minoritized adults aged 18 to 64, self-compassion, resilience, and certain facets of mindfulness (acting with awareness, nonreactivity) predicted lower depression; self-compassion, resilience, and nonreactivity predicted lower anxiety and stress; and only self-compassion predicted greater satisfaction with life. Self-compassion was the only trait that consistently predicted all four psychological outcomes. The findings suggest that self-compassion may be especially important for promoting positive mental health and reducing distress among adults from racially minoritized communities, who face healthcare disparities and underrepresentation in research.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Racially minoritized adults lack equal representation in research and experience disparities in healthcare. Little is known about which trait-level factors may help mitigate negative and promote positive psychological health among adults from these communities. The aim of this study was to assess the differential impact of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and resilience in predicting depression, anxiety, stress, and life satisfaction in a sample of racially minoritized adults. This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 169 participants (37.3% female and 62.7% male) between the ages of 18 and 64 (M = 37.05; SD = 11.94). Separate hierarchical multiple regression models examined the relative influence of mindfulness facets (acting with awareness (AA); nonjudging of inner experience (NJ), and nonreactivity of inner experience (NR)), self-compassion, and resilience in predicting depression, anxiety, stress, and life satisfaction. Self-compassion, resilience, AA, and NR predicted depression; self-compassion, resilience, and NR predicted anxiety; self-compassion, resilience, and NR predicted stress; and self-compassion predicted satisfaction with life. Self-compassion, resilience, AA, NJ, and NR differentially predicted depression, anxiety, stress, and life satisfaction; however, only self-compassion consistently predicted all outcomes. Future research may incorporate an intersectional methodology and account for differences among different racially minoritized groups.