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Examining the Mediating Role of Stress in the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Depression and Anxiety: Testing the Mindfulness Stress-Buffering Model

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Abstract

Many studies have shown that mindfulness can reduce psychological distress; however, the mechanism underlying these effects is still unknown. Along these lines, the mindfulness stress-buffering model provides a hypothesis for explaining the effect of mindfulness on health outcomes through reducing stress. In order to test this model, we investigated the mediating role of stress in the relationship between mindfulness and depression and anxiety. Four hundred and thirty-two university students completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Data were analyzed by a structural equation modeling using the bootstrap resampling method (k = 10,000) using the AMOS 24.0 software. The results of the mediating model showed that stress fully mediated the relationship between mindfulness and depression and partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety in students. Our results suggest that mindfulness, at least partially, yields beneficial effects in reducing depression and anxiety through reducing stress. Therefore, our findings supported the mindfulness stress-buffering model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Eram Square, Shiraz, Iran

    Ahmad Valikhani

  2. Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University of Arak, Arāk, Iran

    Leila Rahmati Kankat

  3. Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

    Parastoo Hariri

  4. Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

    Sepideh Salehi

  5. School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Marcs Institute for Brain and Behaviour, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia

    Ahmed A. Moustafa

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  1. Ahmad Valikhani
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Correspondence to Ahmad Valikhani.

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Valikhani, A., Rahmati Kankat, L., Hariri, P. et al. Examining the Mediating Role of Stress in the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Depression and Anxiety: Testing the Mindfulness Stress-Buffering Model. J Rat-Emo Cognitive-Behav Ther 38, 14–25 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-019-00321-7

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