Article
Mindfulness, Stress and Life Satisfaction: Mediation and Moderation Models in 4 Diverse Samples
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Published: | September 5, 2017 |
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Outline
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Background: Mindfulness and mindfulness based interventions as part of health promotion activities are gaining increasingly attention especially in primary care.
Objectice: The purpose of the present study was to examine mediation and moderation models of mindfulness, stress, and life satisfaction across four independent samples.
Methods: Studies 1–4 included over 1,600 individuals. Average ages in studies 1–4 were 40, 22, 33, and 48, respectively, and a majority (>75%) were female. All four studies included the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Perceived stress and/or stress at work were also included.
Results: Across all studies, mindfulness and stress were positively and negatively associated with life satisfaction, respectively. Mindfulness did not have a unique direct effect on life satisfaction when modeled with stress. Mindfulness and stress, themselves, are inversely correlated as expected, and stress is inversely related to life satisfaction. Stress mediated the association between mindfulness and life satisfaction. Mindfulness moderated the association between stress at work and life satisfaction (study 1) and stress and life satisfaction (study 4).
Discussion: Robust associations between mindfulness, stress, and life satisfaction were observed across all studies. Moderating effects of mindfulness on stress-satisfaction associations were not consistent, but stress mediated all mindfulness-satisfaction associations. Hence, mindfulness may promote life satisfaction through stress reduction.