New research suggests that mindfulness can protect against some of
the negative psychological consequences of racial and ethnic
discrimination. The study was published in the journal Mindfulness.
“Mounting
research has demonstrated the positive effects of mindfulness for
mitigating the effects of stress,” said study author Amanda J.
Shallcross of New York University.
“However, the bulk of this
research has been conducted in racially/ethnically homogeneous samples,”
she told PsyPost. “Given the socio-political climate in the U.S. right
now, the time was ripe to test whether mindfulness may be helpful for
the significant numbers of racial/ethnic minorities who face daily
stress in the form of discrimination.”
The
researchers surveyed 97 Black, Asian, and Hispanic adults living in New
York City regarding mindfulness, discrimination, and depression.
They
found that mindfulness moderated the relationship between perceived
discrimination and depressive symptoms. People who agreed with
statements such as “I am able to accept the thoughts and feelings I
have” and “I am able to focus on the present moment” were buffered from
depressive symptoms when experiencing high levels of discrimination.
The
findings provide evidence that “mindfulness may be useful for people
for preventing depression in individuals with diverse backgrounds and
who face discrimination,” Shallcross said.
The researchers controlled for the the potential confounding effects of age, sex, and income. But more research is necessary.
“In
our study, we don’t actually know if participants are using mindfulness
to combat the effects of discrimination,” Shallcross explained. “We
only know that people higher in trait levels of mindfulness appear to be
buffered from developing depression in the face of discrimination.”
“Future
studies that use ecological momentary assessment or daily diary
sampling methods are needed to understand whether people are using
mindfulness in the moment to cope with discrimination.”
“We need
to understand what kinds of strategies mitigate the effects of
discrimination because it is a unique stressor given that it is
uncontrollable and unpredictable and has the potential to threaten the
core of a person’s identity in a way that other stressful events do
not,” Shallcross added.
´Published in: https://www.psypost.org/2018/09/mindfulness-buffers-the-relationship-between-discrimination-and-depressive-symptoms-52093
The study, “The Protective Role of Mindfulness in the Relationship Between Perceived Discrimination and Depression“, was authored by Amanda J. Shallcross and Tanya M. Spruill.
See more at: MorisBeracha.com
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