TY - JOUR

T1 - Mindfulness mediates the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and resilience in higher education students

AU - Zarotti, Nicolò

AU - Povah, Claire

AU - Simpson, Jane

N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Personality and Individual Differences. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Personality and Individual Differences, 156, 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109795

PY - 2020/4/1

Y1 - 2020/4/1

N2 - Background: associations between the constructs of cognitive reappraisal and resilience, in particular within the context of higher education (HE), have been consistently reported. Moreover, both constructs are strongly and positively associated with mindfulness, meaning that higher levels of mindfulness are found in people who are better at reappraising emotions and being resilient. However, no investigation has so far clarified the role that may mindfulness play in the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and resilience, especially within populations where a strong effect, such as for university students, is already evident.Aims: the present study tested the hypothesis that mindfulness plays a mediational role in the association between cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience.Sample: this study involved a sample of 811 students enrolled at universities within the UK.Results: the data confirmed the strong relationship between cognitive reappraisal and resilience, as well as each construct's individual association with mindfulness. In addition, mindfulness was a significant mediator of the relationship between cognitive appraisal and resilience, thus corroborating the study's main hypothesis.Conclusions: as the concern around students’ mental health grows bigger worldwide, these findings suggest that implementing mindfulness training programmes within HE should be given increasing consideration in the future.

AB - Background: associations between the constructs of cognitive reappraisal and resilience, in particular within the context of higher education (HE), have been consistently reported. Moreover, both constructs are strongly and positively associated with mindfulness, meaning that higher levels of mindfulness are found in people who are better at reappraising emotions and being resilient. However, no investigation has so far clarified the role that may mindfulness play in the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and resilience, especially within populations where a strong effect, such as for university students, is already evident.Aims: the present study tested the hypothesis that mindfulness plays a mediational role in the association between cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience.Sample: this study involved a sample of 811 students enrolled at universities within the UK.Results: the data confirmed the strong relationship between cognitive reappraisal and resilience, as well as each construct's individual association with mindfulness. In addition, mindfulness was a significant mediator of the relationship between cognitive appraisal and resilience, thus corroborating the study's main hypothesis.Conclusions: as the concern around students’ mental health grows bigger worldwide, these findings suggest that implementing mindfulness training programmes within HE should be given increasing consideration in the future.

KW - Mindfulness

KW - Emotion regulation

KW - Cognitive reappraisal

KW - Resilience

KW - University students, Higher education

U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109795

DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109795

M3 - Journal article

VL - 156

JO - Personality and Individual Differences

JF - Personality and Individual Differences

SN - 0191-8869

M1 - 109795

ER -