The associations of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and reappraisal with symptoms of depression and anxiety among a sample of Indigenous students in Canada

Objectives: Depression and anxiety are major concerns among students. Unfortunately, there are disparities between the mental health of majority culture students (White; Judeo-Christian) and that of Indigenous students. Although mindfulness, self-compassion, and reappraisal are correlated with symptoms of psychopathology among White students, these relationships have never been examined among Indigenous students. Participants: Undergraduate Indigenous students recruited from a Canadian institution. Methods: We administered self-report measures of depression, anxiety, dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression). Results: 37.5% (n = 33) and 40.9% (n = 36) reported significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, respectively. Dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion were negatively and strongly associated with depression symptoms (r = -.58 and r = -.58, respectively). Further, both constructs were also negatively and strongly associated with anxiety symptoms (r = -.55 and r = -.53, respectively). We also found a negative correlation between reappraisal and depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: Mindfulness, self-compassion, and reappraisal are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among this sample of Indigenous students.

Automated summary

This study revealed disparities in mental health between majority culture students and Indigenous students. Mindfulness, self-compassion, and reappraisal are significantly correlated with depression and anxiety symptoms among Indigenous students.