Self-Reported Mindfulness Mediates the Relation Between Meditation Experience and Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

A well established notion in Buddhist literature is that meditation practice improves the ability to be mindful in daily life which in turn promotes psychological wellbeing. In order to test this hypothesis the relations between meditation experience, five mindfulness facets and psychological well-being were studied in a sample consisting of Buddhist meditators, Western mindfulness meditators and non-meditators. The meditators scored higher than nonmeditators on all mindfulness facets except Describe, but when age and gender were controlled for there were significant differences only on Non-React and Observe.Multiple and simple mediation were tested in a path model framework. Length of meditation experience was related to Non-React and Observe, and there was a similar trend also for Non-Judge, suggesting that these mindfulness facets are the ones most strongly associated with mindfulness meditation practice. The multiple mediation analysis showed an indirect effect of meditation experience on psychological wellbeing via the five mindfulness facets. Simple mediation analyses indicated that Non-React was the primary mediator. These results support the notion that length of meditation experience is related to higher levels of mindfulness, which in turn is associated with improved well-being.

Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators

“…In long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators, Baer et al (2008) found that a significant association between duration of meditation experience and psychological wellbeing was completely accounted for by increased mindfulness skills. Similar findings were reported by Josefsson, Larsman, Broberg, and Lundh (2011). These studies support the idea that increased mindfulness skills mediate the beneficial effects of mindfulness training and long-term meditation practice.…”

Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies

“…In addition, the data were consistent with a model in which trait mindfulness mediates the relationship between extent of meditation practice and several outcome variables, including fear of emotion, rumination, and behavioral self-regulation. In two other studies, facets of trait mindfulness were found to mediate the relationship between meditation experience and psychological well-being in combined samples of meditators and non-meditators (Baer et al, 2008; Josefsson, Larsman, Broberg, & Lundh, 2011). In addition to correlations with self-report measures, research has examined behavioral and neurobiological correlates of mindfulness meditation.…”

Affect and Mindfulness as Predictors of Change in Mood Disturbance, Stress Symptoms, and Quality of Life in a Community-Based Yoga Program for Cancer Survivors

“…Higher non-reactivity to inner experience was related to lower mood disturbance. Research with experienced meditators and non-meditators suggests the ability to be nonreactive to inner experience is highly related to meditation experience and is most likely to mediate psychological health outcomes [76]. …”