Abstract
Objectives
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted individuals’ well-being across the globe. Despite increased mental health risks due to local and global uncertainties during the pandemic, nonattachment may mitigate these deleterious effects by fostering a positive belief in humanity and life in the face of this unprecedented adversity. The aim of the study was to examine the sequential relationships of nonattachment to positive belief in humanity and life during the pandemic, which may potentially mediate the association between nonattachment and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic over the course of 6 months.
Method
A total of 336 Chinese participants aged 18 to 38 years old completed questionnaires measuring nonattachment, positive belief in humanity and life during COVID-19 pandemic, eudaimonic well-being, hedonic well-being, and psychological distress at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups.
Results
Findings from structural equation modeling showed that higher levels of nonattachment at baseline were associated with stronger positive belief in humanity and life during the pandemic 3 months later, which in turn was positively associated with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being and negatively associated with psychological distress another 3 months later.
Conclusions
The study provides some insights on how nonattachment may be conducive to well-being through association with positive belief in humanity and life under unprecedented life circumstances.
Preregistration
This study is not preregistered.
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Data Availability
All data are available at the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/8ksw2/?view_only=aa20cf6e39a94cf4b7eb6595aba5f1fd).
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Funding
This study was supported by the Health Care and Promotion Scheme of the Health and Medical Research Fund under the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government (Ref. No. 01170708).
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WWSM conceptualized and designed this study, collected the data, advised on data analysis, and wrote, edited, and revised the manuscript. SMN conceptualized this paper, analyzed the data, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. BCLY contributed to data analysis and manuscript revision in the revision and resubmission process.
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Ethical standards set forth by the Survey and Behavioral Research Ethics Committee, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, are followed in conducting the study. The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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Mak, W.W.S., Ng, S.M. & Yu, B.C.L. Nonattachment is Associated with Positive Belief in Humanity and Life and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Mindfulness 14, 2617–2625 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02219-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02219-z