The Four-Facet Model of Eudaimonic Resilience and Its Relationships with Mindfulness, Perceived Stress and Resilience

Abstract

Elevated levels of psychological distress in university students is a growing area of concern as it is associated with a variety of consequences including mental illness symptoms, absenteeism, and poor academic performance. A growing body of research has indicated that resilience in university students is associated with reduced psychological distress and perceived stress. The construct of resilience and the factors that contribute to its development are not well understood, hampering the development of effective interventions. Key factors including mindfulness (paying attention on purpose and non-judgementally in the present moment), positive reappraisal (reframing perceived stress as meaningful), positive emotion, and reduced psychological distress are associated with fostering resilience in the face of perceived stress. These four factors are termed eudaimonic resilience. The present study examined whether perceived stress, mindfulness, positive reappraisal, positive emotion, and psychological distress accounted for variance in university student resilience (N = 164). A theoretical framework of eudaimonic resilience development was examined with mediation. Hierarchical regression indicated that mindfulness, positive reappraisal, positive emotion, and psychological distress predicted variance in resilience over and above that of perceived stress. Additionally, mindfulness, positive reappraisal, positive emotion, and psychological distress significantly mediated the relationship between perceived stress and resilience. Increased mindfulness, positive emotion, and positive reappraisal predicted increased resilience, while increased psychological distress predicted decreased resilience. These results provided preliminary support for a theoretical framework of eudaimonic resilience development and informed resilience interventions. Limitations and future research are discussed.