Exploring the mediating role of suffering and impermanence in the relationship between mindfulness, well-being and depression among Thai university students

This study examined the roles of mindfulness, as well as understanding of suffering and impermanence, in predicting eudaimonic well-being and depression among Thai undergraduates. In Buddhism, mindfulness is believed to facilitate awareness of suffering arising from attachment and supports insight into impermanence – the transient nature of all phenomena. Data were collected from 250 students using online self-report measures of mindfulness, understanding of suffering and impermanence, eudaimonic well-being, and depression. Analyses revealed positive correlations for mindfulness, understanding of suffering, and realisation of impermanence with eudaimonic well-being, and similar negative correlations with depression. Mediation analyses indicated that understanding of impermanence partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and both well-being and depression, whereas understanding of suffering did not. Serial mediation analyses revealed that the variables jointly explained 27.4% of the variance in well-being and 16.2% in depression. These findings highlight the potential mental health benefits of mindfulness and insight into impermanence and suffering.