Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, P.R. China.
Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, P.R. China; Dongguan Middle School Song Shan Lake School, Dongguan, 523808, P.R. China.
J Affect Disord. 2021 Feb 1;280(Pt A):97-104. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.021. Epub 2020 Nov 11.
Internalizing problems during adolescence are common psychiatric symptoms. Previous research has demonstrated that mindfulness was significantly and negatively associated with and mindfulness-based interventions would be efficacious for aiming at adolescents' internalizing problems. However, research about how mindfulness could improve internalizing symptoms among Chinese adolescents is sparse and its potential mechanism is still unclear. The present study adopted rumination and acceptance to examine their mediation effects between Chinese adolescents' mindfulness and internalizing symptoms.
A final sample of 1,554 adolescents (aged from 10 to 18 years old, M = 15.58, SD =1.25) were recruited from schools in South China. Participants were asked to complete a package of questionnaires measuring mindfulness, internalizing problems (indicated by generalized anxiety and depression), rumination, and acceptance.
Structural equation model confirmed our hypothesis and showed that rumination, as well as acceptance, significantly mediated the relationship between Chinese adolescents' mindfulness level and internalizing symptoms (generalized anxiety and depression).
a) only cross-sectional design was employed in the study; b) most of participants were normal adolescent students, without a diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder; c) all the measures were self-reported by adolescents.
Mindfulness not only directly impacted on adolescents' internalizing problems, but also indirectly improved their anxious and depression emotions via the reduction of rumination and the increase of acceptance. Hence, mindfulness training as well as the application of emotion regulation skills may be useful for adolescents exposed to the likelihood of suffering from internalizing problems.
青少年时期的内化问题是常见的精神症状。先前的研究表明，正念与内化问题呈显著负相关，正念干预对青少年的内化问题有效。然而，关于正念如何改善中国青少年内化症状的研究较少，其潜在机制仍不清楚。本研究采用沉思和接纳来检验它们在青少年正念与内化症状之间的中介作用。
最终从华南地区的学校招募了 1554 名青少年（年龄在 10 至 18 岁之间，M=15.58，SD=1.25）。参与者被要求完成一套问卷，测量正念、内化问题（由广泛性焦虑和抑郁表示）、沉思和接纳。
结构方程模型证实了我们的假设，表明沉思和接纳显著中介了中国青少年的正念水平与内化症状（广泛性焦虑和抑郁）之间的关系。
a）研究仅采用了横断面设计；b）大多数参与者是正常的青少年学生，没有任何精神障碍的诊断；c）所有的测量都是由青少年自我报告的。
正念不仅直接影响青少年的内化问题，而且通过减少沉思和增加接纳，间接改善他们的焦虑和抑郁情绪。因此，正念训练以及情绪调节技能的应用可能对易患内化问题的青少年有帮助。
