Strengths and Mindfulness: Their Relative Roles and Effects on Mental Wellbeing

Abstract

Character strengths and mindfulness have attracted the interest of researchers in psychological studies of health. A review of literature shows similarities in the associations and functions between strengths and mindfulness to enhance mental health. However, no study has yet explored the relationship between strengths and mindfulness at the conceptual and functional levels. The current research project attempts to fill this gap.
Two independent studies were conducted. Study 1 examined the measurement invariance of the Brief Strengths Scale-12 (BSS-12) for assessing three strengths (i.e., Interpersonal Strength, Intellectual Strength, and Temperance Strength) and then explored the potential relationship between strengths and mindfulness, as well as their relative contributions to mental health. A cross-sectional design was applied to obtain data from the Chinese community population in Study 1. Study 2 was a longitudinal study conducted among university students to further verify the relationships of the variables over time.
Study 1 used a cross-sectional design in which 375 Chinese community participants completed the Chinese versions of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Brief Strengths Scale, Flourishing Scale, and Brief Symptom Inventory- 18 to assess their levels of mindfulness, strengths, flourishing, and psychological distress, respectively. Study 1 also examined the factorial invariance of the three-factor structure of BSS-12 across gender, age, education, and marriage groups using the multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. After removing one item from each subscale from the original 12-item version, the revised model provided a good fit to the different subgroups of the present study. The revised 9-item BSS indicated that measurement invariance across the gender (male vs. female) and age (younger vs. older) groups was achieved. In addition, socio-cultural-oriented factors (e.g., education and marriage) influenced the measurement more than biology-oriented factors (e.g., gender and age).
The second part of Study 1 showed the different relationships between the three strengths and the two facets of mindfulness. The incremental validity of strengths in explaining mental health outcomes (both Flourishing and Psychological Distress) similarly indicated the functional differences between strengths and mindfulness. Mediation analyses further revealed the mediation role of strengths in the relationship between mindfulness and mental health outcomes. Specifically, Temperance Strength and Interpersonal Strength mediated the relationship between Observing facet of mindfulness and Flourishing, and Temperance Strength mediated the relationship between Observing facet of mindfulness and Psychological Distress.
The longitudinal mediation analysis conducted in Study 2 examined the temporal relationship between strengths and mindfulness in affecting mental health. A total of 229 undergraduates from three universities successfully participated in the six-month Study 2. Participants were asked to complete a package of questionnaires at three time points. At Time 1, the predictors, including Temperance Strength and Interpersonal Strength, Observing facet of mindfulness, and Flourishing, were assessed. At Time 2, two mediators were measured (i.e., Temperance Strength and Interpersonal Strength). Finally, at Time 3, the outcome of mental health reflected by Flourishing was obtained.
Results of structural equation modeling indicated that Observing facet of mindfulness at Time 1 and Interpersonal Strength at Time 2 were not able to predict Flourishing at Time 3. A revised model was constructed after removing Interpersonal Strength. Finally, the revised model indicated acceptable goodness-of-fit indices and produced a significant indirect effect from Observing facet of mindfulness on future Flourishing through Temperance Strength. In other words, personal and past Observing facet of mindfulness predict present Temperance Strength, which further predicts future Flourishing.
Taken together, the current research reviews that mindfulness and strengths are two conceptually related but functionally different constructs. The construct of mindfulness reflects the “doing” approach to understanding dispositional concepts; that is, mindfulness reflects the psychological processes and mechanisms that work behind adaptation through individuals’ thoughts, emotions, and actions. The construct of strengths reflects the “having” approach, that is, the stable patterns of thought, emotion, and action observed over time and across situations. An incremental validity of strengths, compared with mindfulness, in explaining the variance of mental wellbeing further indicates the differences between the two constructs. Moreover, the study identifies Observing as an essential facet of mindfulness and Temperance Strength as a significant pathway to wellbeing, and further demonstrates Temperance Strength as a mechanism of mindfulness that affects mental wellbeing. The establishment of the current mechanism of mindfulness is helpful in enhancing the active components of mindfulness-related training, distinguishing specific and non-specific effects of mindfulness practice, facilitating the identification of other possible moderators, matching sections of intervention programs to specific individuals, and informing the development of theories and models. However, whether the present results could be generalized to non-Chinese populations or other populations (e.g., individuals with mental health issues) should be examined in the future. The implications of the current findings on developing mindfulness- and strength-based training programs are provided toward the end of this thesis.

Date of Award	23 Dec 2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Samuel M.Y. HO (Supervisor)