Liao Mei Chih, Choi Ming Sing Jessica, Huang Chak Hei Ocean, Lam Stanley Kam Ki, Wong Ming Yu Claudia, Wong Janet Yuen-Ha, Fung Hong Wang
Department of Psychology, California State University, Fullerton, USA.
Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 28;14(1):30807. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-81462-3.
Loneliness has been recognized as a pressing global health threat. Research shows that loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms, but less is known about what factors might influence this relationship. This study tested the hypothesis that mindfulness would buffer the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms. A total of 220 Chinese adults completed validated measures of loneliness, mindfulness, and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical multiple regression and moderator analyses were conducted. Mindfulness was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (β = -.485, p < .001) after controlling for demographic variables and loneliness. Furthermore, mindfulness was a statistically significant moderator. Loneliness was more strongly associated with depressive symptoms when the levels of mindfulness were low. Mindfulness buffered the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Encouraging mindfulness practices might offer community-wide benefits from a public health perspective. While some studies showed that mindfulness could reduce loneliness, future studies should further evaluate whether mindfulness-based programs could also prevent the mental health consequences of loneliness.
孤独已被公认为是一个紧迫的全球健康威胁。研究表明，孤独与抑郁症状有关，但对于哪些因素可能影响这种关系，人们了解得较少。本研究检验了正念会缓冲孤独与抑郁症状之间关联的假设。共有220名中国成年人完成了关于孤独、正念和抑郁症状的有效测量。进行了分层多元回归和调节分析。在控制了人口统计学变量和孤独感后，正念与抑郁症状显著相关（β = -0.485，p < 0.001）。此外，正念是一个具有统计学意义的调节变量。当正念水平较低时，孤独与抑郁症状的关联更强。正念缓冲了孤独与抑郁症状之间的关联。从公共卫生的角度来看，鼓励正念练习可能会带来全社区范围的益处。虽然一些研究表明正念可以减少孤独感，但未来的研究应进一步评估基于正念的项目是否也能预防孤独对心理健康造成的影响。
