The Stress-Buffering Role of Mindfulness in the Relationship Between Perceived Stress and Psychological Adjustment

Abstract

This study examined the potential stress-buffering role of mindfulness (including dimensions of observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reactivity) in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological adjustment (i.e., depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, and dimensions of psychological well-being) in university students. A total of 481 Australian law students completed an online questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that higher levels of mindfulness were related to improved adjustment on all outcomes. In support of predictions, dispositional mindfulness buffered the effects of perceived stress on depression and anxiety. Further analyses indicated that the ability to describe experience was particularly important in mitigating the effects of stress on depression and anxiety, as was the ability to observe internal and external experiences in mitigating the effects of stress on depression and reduced life satisfaction. Interventions to increase mindfulness, including specific facets of mindfulness, are proposed as a method of protecting the psychological well-being of students confronted with university stressors.