Trait Mindfulness as a Mediator of Anxiety and Psychosocial Functioning in Young People with Acquired Brain Injury

ABSTRACT

Objective: Following acquired brain injury (ABI), young people may experience increased anxiety as well as difficulties with their psychosocial functioning. This study examined trait mindfulness as a mediator of the relationship between anxiety and psychosocial domains of School and Leisure Activities (SLA), Interpersonal Relationships (IR) and Daily Living Skills (DLS).

Method: Participants were adolescents with ABI (aged 12–19 years, N = 38). Standardised measures were used to assess anxiety, trait mindfulness, and psychosocial functioning.

Results: Higher levels of anxiety were found to be associated with reduced IR (p < .05) and DLS (p < .05). Increased trait mindfulness was found to be associated with lowered anxiety (p < .01), as well as with better IR (p < .05) and DLS (p <.01). Mediation analyses found a significant indirect effect for the relationship between anxiety and DLS through trait mindfulness.

Conclusion: Findings highlight the contribution of trait mindfulness as a mediator between anxiety and psychosocial functioning, such that increased mindfulness and lower levels of anxiety are related to better DLS.

KEYWORDS:

• Acquired brain injury (ABI)
• anxiety
• psychosocial functioning
• mindfulness
• adolescent

Acknowledgments

This study was part of a larger study supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (Grant number 1008690) and a research fellowship awarded to Dr Soo from the Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative. We acknowledge the associate investigators of the larger project, in particular, A/Prof Cathy Catroppa and Prof Robyn Tate. Thanks are due to Irene Dinatale and Melissa Lai for assistance with the co-ordination of the larger project as well as help with data collection and data entry. In addition, Vivianne Champness, Coralie Bastin, Phoebe Kho, Laura Punaro, and Tamera Clancy assisted with data collection at various stages of the project and Natasha Dean assisted with recruitment of participants. We would also like to thank all the families who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no financial interest or benefit arising from the direct applications of this research.

Additional information

Funding

This work was part of a larger project supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council [1008690].