Mindfulness Receptivity, Dispositional Mindfulness, and Coping Self-Efficacy in University Students with and Without a History of Self-Injury

Abstract

ABSTRACT Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant mental health concern on university campuses. It has been proposed that dispositional mindfulness, which may be fostered through mindfulness practice, may have important benefits for university students with a history of NSSI through its positive impact on coping self-efficacy. However, students’ receptivity to mindfulness practice may be an important precursor to their ability to incur the benefits of dispositional mindfulness. This study sought to explore the interrelations between NSSI history, mindfulness receptivity, dispositional mindfulness, and coping self-efficacy among a sample of 246 university students (M age = 21.53 years). Mindfulness receptivity was found to be positively predictive of coping self-efficacy; dispositional mindfulness fully mediated this relationship for participants with a history of NSSI, but did not mediate this relationship for those without such a history. Findings provide preliminary evidence for the importance of mindfulness receptivity in fostering dispositional mindfulness and coping self-efficacy in university students.