Effectiveness of Online Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Psychological Distress and the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

Online mindfulness-based intervention as a feasible and acceptable approach has received mounting attention in recent years, yet more evidence is needed to demonstrate its effectiveness. The primary objective of this study was to examine the effects of online mindfulness-based programs on psychological distress (depression and anxiety). The randomized controlled intervention design consisted of four conditions: group mindfulness-based intervention (GMBI), self-direct mindfulness-based intervention (SDMBI), discussion group (DG) and blank control group (BCG). The program lasted 8 weeks and a total of 76 participants completed the pre- and post-test. Results showed that participants in GMBI and SDMBI had significant pre- and post-test differences on mindfulness, emotion regulation difficulties, and psychological distress, with medium to large effect sizes. In addition, ANCOVA results indicated significant effects of group membership on post-test scores of mindfulness, depression and anxiety when controlling the pretest scores, with medium to large effect sizes. The GMBI appeared to exert the greatest effects on outcome variables in comparison with other groups. In addition, changes in emotion regulation difficulties across groups could mediate the relationship between changes in mindfulness dimensions (Observing and Describing) and changes in psychological distress across groups. These results provided encouraging evidence for the effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions in reducing psychological distress, and the possible mediating role of emotion regulation, while also underlining the importance of group discussion in online mindfulness-based interventions

Dispositional mindfulness and mental health in Hong Kong college students: The mediating roles of decentering and self‐acceptance

Objective Although numerous studies have supported an association between dispositional mindfulness and individuals' mental health, the mechanism on how mindfulness exerts its effect is still unclear. This study aimed to examine decentering and self‐acceptance as two potential mediating variables between college students' dispositional mindfulness and mental health. Method Participants were 231 college students (female = 68%, Mage = 18.54) from Hong Kong, China. They completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, General Health Questionnaire, scales of Decentering and Self‐acceptance. Results Dispositional mindfulness was negatively related to mental health problems, and this relationship was significantly mediated by both decentering and self‐acceptance. These two mediating variables accounted for 28% variance of mental health problems. In addition, the indirect effect with decentering as mediating variable minus the indirect effect with self‐acceptance as mediating variable was significant. This result indicated that self‐acceptance contributed more than decentering to the indirect effect of dispositional mindfulness on mental health. Conclusion This research shed light upon the mechanism underlying mindfulness and mental health among college students and highlighted the needs to consider the important roles of self‐acceptance and decentering in the effect of mindfulness when predicting college students' mental health