Perceived Stress and University Adaptation Process: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness

Abstract

The intense stress that first year student experienced and university adjustment problems are hot topics in literature. Another concept that is related to stress is mindfulness. The studies investigating the association between stress and mindfulness reveals that these two concepts are negatively associated. Based on this, the aim of this study is examining the relationship between university adaptation, perceived stress and mindfulness. The sample of the study consisted of 240 first year students aged between 1729. Demographics questionnaire, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and University Life Scale (ULS) were conducted to the participants. The results indicated that there was a significant negative association between perceived stress and university adaptation variables (emotional adaptation, university environment adaptation, personal adaptation, adaptation with the opposite sex, academic adaptation and social adaptation). There was a significant negative association between students’ mindfulness and perceived stress levels and there was a positive association between university adaptation variables (except from personal adaptation) and mindfulness. Additionally, it was detected that mindfulness mediated the association between perceived stress and university adaptation variables (except from personal adaptation). Consequently, the present study contributed to better understanding how stress influence the university adaptation. It suggests that it would be better to help develop mindfulness in intervention programs concerning increasing university adaptation.