Abstract
This study examined the potential buffering role of trait mindfulness in the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms in a community-based sample of racial and ethnic minority adults. Analyses conducted on 97 participants indicated that self-reported trait mindfulness moderated the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms. Individuals low in mindfulness experienced elevated depressive symptoms at high levels of discrimination. However, individuals high in mindfulness reported lower depressive symptoms at high levels of discrimination. Results remained robust when controlling for potential confounding effects of age, sex, and income. Results suggest mindfulness is an important individual difference that may confer resilience for racial and ethnic minority communities who experience disproportionate levels of discrimination-related stressors and health disparities. Findings point to the potential utility of interventions that target mindfulness as a modifiable skill that can be used specifically to cope with discrimination. Socio-cultural considerations for the use of mindfulness-based approaches in racial and ethnic minority communities are discussed.
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This study was supported by National Institutes of Health, National Heart Blood and Lung, Grant 5R21HL111967 awarded to Tanya M. Spruill.
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Amanda J. Shallcross conducted data analyses and wrote the paper. Tanya M. Spruill designed and executed the study and collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript.
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This research was approved by the Institutional Review Board at NYU School of Medicine. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants.
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Shallcross, A.J., Spruill, T.M. The Protective Role of Mindfulness in the Relationship Between Perceived Discrimination and Depression. Mindfulness 9, 1100–1109 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0845-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0845-4