The Influence Of Mindfulness Practice On College Students’ Depression

Purpose:To discuss the affect path of mindfulness for college students’ depression by investigation college students’ depression, mindfulness and coping style; Through mindfulness practice intervention to disscuss the effect of mindfulness practice intervention on college students’ depression, mindfulness,coping style and the emotional stroop task.Methods:Survey research uses questionnaire method. The students of a total number of 755 college students selected from freshman to junior in college school were tested use“Self-rating depression scale”, “Five Facet Mindfulness Questionaire”, “Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire”. Using correlation analysis, regression analysis to discuss the affect path of mindfulness level for college students’ depression. In intervention study, the research objects are selected eligible from the survey research and were randomly assigned to experimental group and wait-list control group. The participants in experimental group received mindfulness practice, while the participants in control group waited without any intervention. Then to discuss the effect of mindfulness practice intervention on college students’ depression, mindfulness, coping style and the emotional stroop effect. Compare the differences in Self-rating depression scale, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionaire,Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire and reaction time and accuracy rate in the emotional stroop task.Results:1. Survey Findings(1) College students’ depression average score is 44.508±8.583, the percentage of no depression 、mild depression、 moderate depression and major depression is 73.91%、20.53%、34.37% and 0.79%. There is significant difference of College students’ depression in grade(F=3.586, p<0.05). While there is no significant difference in gender, the onlychild, homeplace, family integrity and whether the students are religious or not(p>0.05).College students’ mindfulness level averge score is 126.706±11.699. There is significant difference of college students’ mindfulness level in gender, the only child, homeplace(t=3.521, p<0.05;t=2.762, p<0.05;F=6.324, p<0.05). While there is no significant difference in grade, family integrity and whether the students are religious or not(p>0.05).(2) Depression score is negatively correlated with total mindfulness level score and its each dimension scores. Depression score is negatively correlated with positive coping style and positively correlated with negative coping style. Total mindfulness level score and observing, describing, nonreactivity are positively correlated with positive coping style.Total mindfulness level score is irrelevanted with negative coping style. Positive coping style played a partial mediating role between college students’ depression and mindfulness level and the mediation effect is 25.46%. Positive coping style did not play as a moderator between college students’ depression and mindfulness level.2. Intervention Study Results(1) Measured the indicators of pretest, immediate post-test and delay post-test by repeated measured analysis of variance and the results of depression,total mindfulness level and its each dimension scores, positive coping style disply: Depression(F=34.959,p<0.05)、Total mindfulness level score(F=18.347,p<0.05)、Observing(F=11.423,p<0.05)、Acting with awareness(F=7.837,p<0.05)、Nonjuding(F=2.657,p<0.05)、Nonreactivity(F=8.799,p<0.05)、Positive coping style(F=10.447,p<0.05)have significant difference among treatment. Depression(F=54.999, p<0.05)、Total mindfulness level score(F=27.749,p<0.05)、Observing(F=28.19,p<0.05)、Describing(F=28.19,p<0.05)、Nonreactivity(F=13.071,p<0.05)、Positive coping style(F=8.652,p<0.05)have trends over time. Depression(F=35.712,p<0.05)、Total mindfulness level score(F=36.974,p<0.05)、Observing(F=37.850,p<0.05)、Describing(F=37.850,p<0.05)、Acting with awareness(F=3.231,p<0.05)、Nonjuding(F=36.865,p<0.05)、Nonreactivity(F=17.410,p<0.05)、Positive coping style(F=8.135,p<0.05),the role of time factor is different with subgroup. Further comparisons revealed: the score of depression of experimental group immediate post-test and delayed post-test has significantly lower than pretest and control group, total mindfulness level score of experimental group immediatepost-test and delayed post-test has significantly higher than pretest and control group.(2) Measured the indicators of pretest, immediate post-test and delay post-test by repeated measured analysis of variance and the results of the emotional stroop task dispay:reaction time of productive vocabulary(F=52.003,p<0.05)、reaction time of passive vocabulary(F=57.678,p<0.05)、reaction time of neutral vocabulary(F=19.793,p<0.05)have significant difference among treatment, reaction time of productive vocabulary(F=3.816,p<0.05)、reaction time of neutral vocabulary(F=9.670,p<0.05)have trends over time, reaction time of productive vocabulary(F=10.279,p<0.05)、reaction time of passive vocabulary(F=7.088,p<0.05)、reaction time of neutral vocabulary(F=5.335,p<0.05)the role of time factor is different with subgroup. Further comparisons revealed:the reaction time of productive vocabulary、passive vocabulary and neutral vocabulary of experimental group immediate post-test and delayed post-test has significantly shorter than pretest and control group. There is no significant difference in accuracy rate in the emotional stroop task in two groups’ pretest, immediate post-test and delayed post-test nor between experimental group and control group.Conclusion:1. The depression of college students is not very good. Mindfulness level and positive coping style are influential factors of college students’ depression. Mindfulness level is not only has direct effect to depression, but also play a role of indirect effects of depression by positive coping style.2. Mindfulness practice intervention had better effects on depression, improve mindfulness level and increase the positive coping strategies. The effect of mindfulness’ deautomatization of response and focusing attention may be one of the potential mechanisms that mindfulness practice intervention relieves depression.