Presence of meaning in life mediates the relationship between mindfulness and resilience in young adults

Objective: Bolstering resilience may protect against adverse health outcomes. Literature has established a positive link between mindfulness and resilience, though potential underlying mechanisms are still being identified. Evidence suggests increased mindfulness enhances meaning in life, and meaning in life is positively associated with resilience. We examined whether presence of and search for meaning in life explain the relationship between mindfulness and resilience. Participants: Subjects were undergraduates (N = 778, 81.4% female) at a large public university. Methods: An online survey including the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Brief Resilience Scale, and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale was distributed and a parallel mediation model was tested in R with gender as a covariate. Results: A significant indirect effect was found for presence of meaning (β = .12, p < .001), but not search for meaning (β = .01, p > .05). Conclusions: Mindfulness may bolster resilience by increasing presence of meaning in life. Findings may inform interventions to improve resilience in young adults.