Longitudinal relationship between inferiority and maladjustment among college students: The mediation of dispositional mindfulness and moderation of left-behind experience

The present study explored the longitudinal relationship between college students' inferiority and maladjustment, as well as the mediating role of dispositional mindfulness and the moderating role of left-behind experience. A total of 313 Chinese college students in Chongqing reported their levels of inferiority and whether they had left-behind experience at base-line (T1), and reported their levels of dispositional mindfulness and maladaptive problems three months later (T2). The current study found that dispositional mindfulness played a mediating role between inferiority and maladjustment (stress, anxiety and aggression), and left-behind experience moderated the second half of the model (i.e., the link between dispositional mindfulness and maladjustment). Furthermore, the mediating effect of dispositional mindfulness was weaker for college students who had left-behind experience compared to those without such experience. Findings highlight the beneficial effects of dispositional mindfulness on the maladjustment of college students, and the adverse impact of childhood left-behind experience on individuals’ psychological resources and mental health in adulthood. The implications of the results and mindfulness interventions targeting college students were discussed.