Differences in mindfulness and other coping outcomes among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multi-modeling approach

Young adults are at significant risk for increased substance abuse, worsening mental health issues, and elevated suicidal behaviors. These risks have increased since the beginning of the COVID -19 pandemic. Self-help interventions (e.g., mindfulness meditation) are available to counteract these negative effects on mental health. Mindfulness meditation has become popular as a tool for stress reduction and emotional regulation. There are significant health benefits to mindfulness-based interventions, such as increased awareness. This study’s purpose was to gain greater understanding of whether mindfulness is helpful to mental health among young adults during COVID-19. Quantitative analyses found: (1) Current employment predicted greater adherence to formal mindful practice and trait mindfulness; (2) formal practice was associated with trait mindfulness; (3) adherence to informal practice yielded a significant inverse association with trait anxiety; and (4) avoidance coping acted as mediator between both employment status and college experience (as exogenous variables), and trait anxiety, generalized anxiety/depression, and COVID-19 stress (as endogenous variables).