Mindfulness May Buffer Psychological Distress in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Differential Role of Mindfulness Facets
The COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacts adolescents’ mental health, a population particularly vulnerable to mental disorders, highlighting the need to identify protective factors against COVID-19 related psychological distress to inform policies and intervention strategies. Previous research suggests...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Psychologica Belgica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.psychologicabelgica.com/articles/1093 |
| _version_ | 1819005930350575616 |
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| author | Merle Kock Peter Kuppens Katleen Van der Gucht Filip Raes |
| author_facet | Merle Kock Peter Kuppens Katleen Van der Gucht Filip Raes |
| author_sort | Merle Kock |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacts adolescents’ mental health, a population particularly vulnerable to mental disorders, highlighting the need to identify protective factors against COVID-19 related psychological distress to inform policies and intervention strategies. Previous research suggests that mindfulness may be a promising factor that can lower the risk of detrimental psychological consequences related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is currently unknown which aspects of mindfulness contribute most to its protective effects. Moreover, previous studies mainly focused on adult samples. The present study aimed to address this gap by investigating the impact of specific mindfulness facets on adolescents’ COVID-19 related psychological functioning. 246 Dutch-speaking adolescents were recruited via social media to complete a cross-sectional online survey between June 29 and October 11, 2020. Participants were 16–18 years of age, most of them women (71%), and the majority followed the highest level of Belgian secondary education. Logistic regression analyses were performed to test the differential effects of each mindfulness facet on psychological functioning. Our results identified decentering as the facet of mindfulness that was uniquely associated with decreased worry and stress, improved mental health and quality of life, as well as with an increase in social connectedness with others following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unexpectedly, decentering was negatively associated with adolescents’ helping behaviour during compared to before the pandemic. Implications for research on and application of mindfulness are discussed. Taken together, these findings suggest that the facet of decentering, among all facets of mindfulness, may represent the main protective factor against psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:00:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c3f97c2d578e493fa453ed9ebb900dbb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-670X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:00:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychologica Belgica |
| spelling | doaj.art-c3f97c2d578e493fa453ed9ebb900dbb2022-12-21T19:22:37ZengUbiquity PressPsychologica Belgica2054-670X2021-11-0161110.5334/pb.1093824Mindfulness May Buffer Psychological Distress in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Differential Role of Mindfulness FacetsMerle Kock0Peter Kuppens1Katleen Van der Gucht2Filip Raes3Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, LeuvenFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, LeuvenFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, LeuvenFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, LeuvenThe COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacts adolescents’ mental health, a population particularly vulnerable to mental disorders, highlighting the need to identify protective factors against COVID-19 related psychological distress to inform policies and intervention strategies. Previous research suggests that mindfulness may be a promising factor that can lower the risk of detrimental psychological consequences related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is currently unknown which aspects of mindfulness contribute most to its protective effects. Moreover, previous studies mainly focused on adult samples. The present study aimed to address this gap by investigating the impact of specific mindfulness facets on adolescents’ COVID-19 related psychological functioning. 246 Dutch-speaking adolescents were recruited via social media to complete a cross-sectional online survey between June 29 and October 11, 2020. Participants were 16–18 years of age, most of them women (71%), and the majority followed the highest level of Belgian secondary education. Logistic regression analyses were performed to test the differential effects of each mindfulness facet on psychological functioning. Our results identified decentering as the facet of mindfulness that was uniquely associated with decreased worry and stress, improved mental health and quality of life, as well as with an increase in social connectedness with others following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unexpectedly, decentering was negatively associated with adolescents’ helping behaviour during compared to before the pandemic. Implications for research on and application of mindfulness are discussed. Taken together, these findings suggest that the facet of decentering, among all facets of mindfulness, may represent the main protective factor against psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.psychologicabelgica.com/articles/1093mindfulnesscovid-19adolescentspsychological distressdecentering |
| spellingShingle | Merle Kock Peter Kuppens Katleen Van der Gucht Filip Raes Mindfulness May Buffer Psychological Distress in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Differential Role of Mindfulness Facets Psychologica Belgica mindfulness covid-19 adolescents psychological distress decentering |
| title | Mindfulness May Buffer Psychological Distress in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Differential Role of Mindfulness Facets |
| title_full | Mindfulness May Buffer Psychological Distress in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Differential Role of Mindfulness Facets |
| title_fullStr | Mindfulness May Buffer Psychological Distress in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Differential Role of Mindfulness Facets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mindfulness May Buffer Psychological Distress in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Differential Role of Mindfulness Facets |
| title_short | Mindfulness May Buffer Psychological Distress in Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Differential Role of Mindfulness Facets |
| title_sort | mindfulness may buffer psychological distress in adolescents during the covid 19 pandemic the differential role of mindfulness facets |
| topic | mindfulness covid-19 adolescents psychological distress decentering |
| url | https://www.psychologicabelgica.com/articles/1093 |
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