Mindfulness and Depression: Chain Mediation of Rumination and Cognitive Reappraisal

Purpose: The current study examined rumination and cognitive reappraisal as mediators of the relationship between mindfulness and depression. Methods: A total of 394 Chinese participants were included in this study. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Chinese version of the Ruminative Responses Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used for assessing mindfulness, rumination, cognitive reappraisal and depression respectively. Results: (i) Mindfulness and depression were significantly negatively correlated; (ii) Rumination mediated between mindfulness and depression; (iii) Cognitive reappraisal mediated between mindfulness and depression. (iv) Mindfulness had a significant indirect effect on depression. Results supported a chain mediation model where mindfulness was found to influence depression via rumination and cognitive reappraisal. Conclusion: The results verified the chain mediation effect of rumination and cognitive reappraisal between mindfulness and depression, which is of great significance for improving the mental health level of individuals.