Gaymer, Laura (University of Wollongong, Australia)
The relationship between mindfulness and burnout and the role of emotion regulation in university students
Burnout is an issue of increasing importance in society, affecting individuals across various occupations, including university students. There is a growing need for the development of programmes aimed at the prevention and reduction of burnout. It is recognized that mindfulness can increase well-being and reduce psychological symptoms but less is known about the relationship between mindfulness and burnout. Emotion regulation has been proposed as a mechanism of mindfulness and this has been supported by studies investigating the effects of mindfulness on psychological symptom reduction. However, the role emotion regulation plays in the relationship between mindfulness and burnout is not well understood. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationships between mindfulness, burnout and adaptive and non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies amongst 208 university students using correlational analyses. Additionally, the role of emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between mindfulness and burnout was explored using mediation analyses. As expected, individuals who were more mindful reported being less burned out, using adaptive emotion regulation strategies more frequently and non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies less frequently than less mindful individuals. Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between mindfulness and the burnout dimension of disengagement was partially mediated by positive reappraisal and ‘putting into perspective’ (adaptive emotion regulation). Since this effect was small, other mechanisms must account for the effect of mindfulness on burnout. The results of the current study indicate the need to explore other mechanisms of mindfulness which could influence the relationship between mindfulness and burnout.
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The relationship between mindfulness and burnout and the role of emotion regulation in university students
Burnout is an issue of increasing importance in society, affecting individuals across various occupations, including university students. There is a growing need for the development of programmes aimed at the prevention and reduction of burnout. It is recognized that mindfulness can increase well-being and reduce psychological symptoms but less is known about the relationship between mindfulness and burnout. Emotion regulation has been proposed as a mechanism of mindfulness and this has been supported by studies investigating the effects of mindfulness on psychological symptom reduction. However, the role emotion regulation plays in the relationship between mindfulness and burnout is not well understood. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationships between mindfulness, burnout and adaptive and non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies amongst 208 university students using correlational analyses. Additionally, the role of emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between mindfulness and burnout was explored using mediation analyses. As expected, individuals who were more mindful reported being less burned out, using adaptive emotion regulation strategies more frequently and non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies less frequently than less mindful individuals. Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between mindfulness and the burnout dimension of disengagement was partially mediated by positive reappraisal and ‘putting into perspective’ (adaptive emotion regulation). Since this effect was small, other mechanisms must account for the effect of mindfulness on burnout. The results of the current study indicate the need to explore other mechanisms of mindfulness which could influence the relationship between mindfulness and burnout.
Download Presentation