Predicting Mindfulness Based on Emotional Regulation and Anxiety Among High School Students in Rasht City, Iran

Background: Regarding the high prevalence of anxiety among students and its negative impact on their academic achievement, evaluating the efficacy of psychiatric-educational therapeutic interventions on anxiety is necessary.  Objectives: The aim of the present research was to predict mindfulness based on emotional regulation and anxiety among high school students in Rasht City, Iran. Materials and Methods: The statistical population of the present descriptive-correlational study included all female high school students in Rasht during the academic year 2016-2017. A total of 150 individuals were selected as the sample of the study, using the random multistage cluster sampling method. In order to collect data, the mindful attention awareness scale, cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire, and children’s manifest anxiety scale were used. The data were analyzed by SPSS V. 22, using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Results: There was a positive relationship between positive emotion regulation components and negative relationship with mindfulness (P<0.01). Also, there was a negative relationship between anxiety and mindfulness (P<0.01). The components of positive refocusing (B=0.83), perceptiveness (B=0.57), and refocus on planning (B=0.43) positively predicted mindfulness. The components of catastrophizing (B =-0.45), self-blame (B=-0.37), rumination (B=-0.24), and other-blame (B=-0.18) negatively predicted mindfulness. Conclusion: This study showed an increase in the components of acceptance, positive refocus, refocus on planning, reappraisal, and perceptiveness. Also, the rate of mindfulness increased. With an increase in catastrophizing, other-blame, self-blame, rumination, and mindfulness increased. Moreover, with an increase in anxiety, mindfulness decreased. The components of positive refocusing, perceptiveness, and refocus on planning, respectively, had the highest predictive power of mindfulness in a positive way, and the components of catastrophizing, self-blame, rumination, and other-blame, respectively, had the highest predictive power of mindfulness in a negative manner.

Keywords:

Mindfulness , Emotional regulation , Anxiety , Students