The Relationship between Mindfulness and Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Depression among University Students

Abstract

Admission at university can be considered as a critical phase in life of young students, leading them to enter a greater society and experience a different educational, social, and cultural setting. Generally, these drastic changes in their personal and social lives would be accompanied by intense anxiety and stress, negatively influencing their performance and efficiency; as a result, their mental vulnerability would be intensified. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between mindfulness and cognitive emotion regulation, in one hand, and depression, on the other hand. The target population included university students studying in 2015-2016 academic year in University of Kashan, Iran. Using Krejcie & Morgan Table (1970), 355 university students were selected through stratified multi-stage sampling. The respondents completed Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (2001), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (2001), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (1996). The data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation and Multiple-Regression Analysis in SPSS 18 Software. The results revealed that cognitive emotion regulation components and mindfulness have a statistically significant relationship with depression. Moreover, catastrophizing and self-blame could directly and mindfulness and refocusing on planning indirectly predict depression significantly. The findings imply that university students would suffer less depression by enhancing mindfulness and cognitive emotion regulation.