Mindfulness and stress among undergraduate students: Examining the mediation roles of self-as-context and cognitive defusion as decentering facets.

This study examines the mediating roles of two facets of decentering - self-as-context and cognitive defusion - in the relationship between mindfulness and stress among undergraduate students. 204 undergraduate students from a U.S. university participated in the study. A cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing self-report measures to assess mindfulness, stress, self-as-context, and cognitive defusion. Mediation analyses were conducted to explore indirect pathways between mindfulness and stress through decentering facets. Two major findings are (a) the relationship between mindfulness and stress was mediated by cognitive defusion, and (b) mindfulness influenced stress through a sequential pathway involving self-as-context and cognitive defusion. These results suggest that mindfulness may help stress coping through increased cognitive defusion and self-as-context awareness. This study highlights the distinct mediating roles of decentering facets in the mindfulness-stress relationship. Understanding these mechanisms may inform mindfulness-based interventions aimed at improving stress-coping strategies among undergraduate students.