Relationships Between Self-Report Measures of Mindfulness, Anxiety and Depression in College Students

Abstract

This research study examined the relationships between measures of mindfulness ability and measures of anxiety, depression, stress, worry, emotional regulation, and experiential avoidance in an unselected sample of college students. Many previous studies have shown that mindfulness-based intervention programs can reduce anxiety, depression, stress, or worry (Kabat-Zinn et al., 1992; Kutz, et al., 1985; Miller, Fletcher, & Kabat-Zinn, 1995); however, pre-existing relationships between these symptoms and mindfulness have not been well explored. The study found that overall self-reported mindfulness ratings were significantly negatively correlated with various psychological symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress), experiential avoidance, and difficulties in emotional regulation. Mindfulness was not found to be more related to emotional regulation or experiential avoidance than to the Stress subscale of the DASS, which was the symptom measure most strongly related to mindfulness.