Prediction of Psychological Well-Being Based on Dispositional Mindfulness and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Students

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of psychological wellbeing with variables of mindfulness and emotion regulation strategies, and then to identify which one predicts better psychological well-being. Methods: We used a descriptive-analytical design for this study. A total of 243 students from 3 Tehran universities were selected using the convenience sampling method. Three measurement instruments were used in this study: mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS), cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (CERQ), and psychological well-being scale (PWS). The statistical analysis included the Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis. Study variables were calculated with SPSS ver. 19. Results: The results indicated that mindfulness and psychological well-being are positively correlated to most of the more adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and negatively correlated to most of the less adaptive ones. In the fifth model of regression analysis, positive reappraisal (Beta=0.27), catastrophizing (Beta=-0.24), refocus on planning (Beta=0.24), mindfulness (Beta=0.22), and acceptance (Beta=-0.10) were the best predictors of psychological well-being, consecutively, and together accounted for 46% of the variance. Conclusion: Higher mindfulness and using more adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies are associated with higher psychological well-being. Regression analysis also suggests that higher levels of positive reappraisal, refocusing on planning, mindfulness, lower levels of catastrophizing, and acceptance predict higher levels of psychological well-being.