Mindful Nonreactivity, Anxiety, Depression, and Perceived Stress as Mediators of the Mindfulness Virtual Community Intervention-Pathways to Enhance Mental Health in University Students: Secondary Evaluation of Two Randomized Controlled Trials With Student Participants.

Background: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are widely used in mental health promotion and treatment. Despite widespread evidence of effectiveness with different populations and delivery modes, there are sparse findings concerning the mechanisms of action in MBIs.

Objective: The objective of this paper was to understand the mediators of the Mindfulness Virtual Community (MVC) intervention, an 8-week, multicomponent, online mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral therapy (M-CBT) intervention, based on a secondary evaluation of 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with student participants.

Methods: Mediation analysis, using structural equation modeling, was used to assess direct and indirect relationships between study group (ie, intervention or wait list control) and outcomes. Consistent with the intervention's theoretical perspective and direct effects paths, a model was specified to evaluate whether mindful nonreactivity, as evaluated by the 5-factor mindfulness questionnaire, mediated the effect of MVC intervention on anxiety and depression (as symptom-driven outcomes), and perceived stress and quality of life (as functional outcomes). The model included additional mediating paths for perceived stress through anxiety and depression, and for quality of life through anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. The model was thereafter extended, adjusting for pre-intervention differences in mindfulness (ie, observing, describing, activity with awareness, nonjudgment, and nonreactivity) facets.

Results: Direct (nonmediated) effects indicated statistically significant differences at 8 weeks between the MVC and waitlist control (WLC) groups on depression (-1.72; P=.002), anxiety (-3.40; P=.001), perceived stress (-2.44; P<.001), quality of life (4.31; P=.005), and the nonreactivity facet of mindfulness (1.63; P<.001), in favor of the MVC intervention. Mediation analysis supported the mediating role of the nonreactivity facet of mindfulness, depression, anxiety, and perceived stress through single and sequential mediation paths. Results indicated good fit characteristics for the main (comparative fit index [CFI]=.99; root-mean-square error of approximation [RMSEA]=.05; standardized root-mean-square residual [SRMR]=.05) and extended (CFI=.99; RMSEA=.04; SRMR=.04) models.

Conclusions: This research underscores the importance of mindful nonreactivity, depression, and anxiety as key mediators of MVC intervention benefits.