Mindfulness and resilience: mediating role of emotion regulation

Abstract

Research has shown that high levels of stress are associated with lower levels of well-being, increased risk of mental illness, and a variety of cardiac health complications. This has led to a growing interest in resilience research, due to its strong association with lower levels of stress. The present study evaluated the relationship between mindfulness, emotion regulation, and resilience. The primary aim of the study was to determine the role emotion regulation plays in the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and resilience to stress. The study consisted of undergraduate students (N = 117) who completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The results replicated previous findings supporting the relationship between mindfulness and resilience, as well as the relationship between mindfulness and emotion regulation. Further analyses found that in the regression models, mindfulness and adaptive emotion regulation were significant predictors of resilience. The results suggest the combination of mindfulness and adaptive emotion regulation strategies significantly predict resilience, with implications for therapeutic interventions.