Background: The COVID-19 lockdown has been a major stressor for the general population, posing a considerable threat to quality of life (QoL), particularly among university students. Existing research highlights the protective role of dispositional mindfulness (DM) in mitigating stressors; however, its influence on moderating the impact of COVID-19 on QoL remains unknown. We used a longitudinal design to assess the QoL of undergraduate students before and after the COVID-19 lockdown, while also examining the potential moderating effect of DM on this impact. Methods: One hundred eleven Spanish undergraduate students were recruited in 2019, and 103 were followed-up in 2020. Instruments comprised a demographic questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) inventory to assess QoL, and the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) to assess DM. Results: Analyses revealed statistically significant differences between the two time points in WHOQOL-BREF: Psychological, Social Relationships, and Environmental. Moderation analyses revealed that the impact of COVID-19 on WHOQOL-BREF Psychological scores was moderated by FFMQ-Observe and FFMQ-Non-judging. Conclusions: The COVID-19 lockdown resulted in a reduction of QoL among undergraduate students, yet this impact was moderated by DM. Specifically, present moment attention to experience (observe) and non-judgmental awareness attenuated the impact of COVID-19 on psychological well-being. Future research should focus on evaluating the protective role of preventive interventions designed to increase DM among undergraduate students.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Barone et al. (2024) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: