Within-Person variations in mindfulness mediate effects of daily stressors on psychological distress in adolescence

Abstract

Objective

We tested two competing models linking daily stress, mindfulness, and psychological distress in adolescence: 1) whether daily mindfulness moderates the impact of daily stressors on psychological distress or 2) whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between greater daily stressors and psychological distress.

Methods

Every evening for a week, 138 adolescents completed ecological momentary assessments (EMAs). Daily diaries assessed negative events, work-school conflict, mindfulness, and perceived stress. Multilevel mediation and moderation were tested.

Results

Results indicated that there were meaningful variations in adolescent mindfulness from day-to-day, and supported mediation rather than moderation; the within-person association between stressors and psychological distress was mediated by mindfulness at the daily level.

Conclusion

It may be too challenging for adolescents to remain in a mindful state during stress to effectively use mindfulness as a buffer. Instead, daily stressors may indirectly impact psychological distress through decreasing mindfulness.

Keywords:

• Adolescence
• mindfulness stress buffering
• within-person
• psychological distress
• work-school conflict
• negative events

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Data are available from first author upon request.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this project was provided by Award Number K01AT009592-01 from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (PI, Lucas-Thompson). The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.