Relationships Between Meaning in Life, Dispositional Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Psychological Symptoms Among Chinese Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancer

Abstract This research examined the degree to which meaning in life explained the association between dispositional mindfulness and psychological symptoms. This was a survey research study with 292 patients with gastrointestinal cancer. Meaning in Life, dispositional mindfulness, psychological symptoms, and perceived stress were assessed. Results showed that consistent with theory and prior research, greater dispositional mindfulness was associated with less psychological symptoms and perceived stress. In addition, the results of the structural equation model verify that meaning in life mediates the association between dispositional mindfulness and perceived stress and psychological symptoms. Findings are consistent with logotheory and suggest that psychological symptoms may be reduced by addressing the impact of meaning in life.