Mediating Role of Mindfulness and Self-Regulation in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Subjective Well-Being Among University Students
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to explore the mediating roles of mindfulness and self-regulation in the correlation between perceived stress and subjective well-being among university students
Method: The research involved 353 undergraduates and utilized the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and the Self-Regulation Survey (SRS). Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS software was used to test the proposed relationships.
Results: The findings indicated significant relationships among perceived stress, subjective well-being, self-regulation, and mindfulness. Specifically, perceived stress positively predicted mindfulness (β = 0.400, t = 6.233, P < 0.001) and self-regulation (β = 0.441, t = 5.547, P < 0.001). Mindfulness significantly mediated the relationship between perceived stress and subjective well-being (β = 0.241, t = 3.559, P < 0.001), while self-regulation did not exhibit a mediating effect. This suggests that, although self-regulation assists students in managing behaviors and emotions, it may not influence the stress-well-being pathway as effectively as mindfulness does.
Conclusion: The results underscore the importance of integrating mindfulness strategies into educational programs to enhance students' mental and emotional well-being. This study provides empirical support for the development of mindfulness-related curricula in universities, suggesting that fostering mindfulness could serve as a pivotal intervention for improving subjective well-being among students facing high levels of perceived stress.
1. Zhan H, Zheng C, Zhang X, Yang M, Zhang L, Jia X. Chinese college students' stress and anxiety levels under COVID-19. Frontiers in psychiatry. 2021;12:615390.
2. Besharat M-A, Khadem H, Zarei V, Momtaz A. Mediating role of perceived stress in the relationship between facing existential issues and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry. 2020;15(1):80.
3. Rastegarian A, Bazrafshan A, Keshavarz P. Happiness and internet addiction among high school girls in Iran: A single-center experience. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry. 2022;17(4):388.
4. Li R, Kajanoja J, Lindblom J, Korja R, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, et al. The role of alexithymia and perceived stress in mental health responses to COVID-19: a conditional process model. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022;306:9-18.
5. Farhoumandi N, Zarean M, Nasiri M, Jega M. Somatization mediates the structural relationship of alexithymia with anxiety and depression. Iranian journal of psychiatry. 2022;17(2):144.
6. Khaleghi A, Mohammadi MR, Shahi K, Nasrabadi AM. Computational neuroscience approach to psychiatry: A review on theory-driven approaches. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. 2022;20(1):26.
7. Tran MAQ, Vo-Thanh T, Soliman M, Ha AT, Van Pham M. Could mindfulness diminish mental health disorders? The serial mediating role of self-compassion and psychological well-being. Current Psychology. 2024;43(15):13909-22.
8. Khaleghi A, Shahi K, Saidi M, Babaee N, Kaveh R, Mohammadian A. Linear and nonlinear analysis of multimodal physiological data for affective arousal recognition. Cognitive Neurodynamics. 2024:1-12.
9. Bunjak A, Černe M, Schölly EL. Exploring the past, present, and future of the mindfulness field: A multitechnique bibliometric review. Frontiers in psychology. 2022;13:792599.
10. Lahtinen O, Aaltonen J, Kaakinen J, Franklin L, Hyönä J. The effects of app-based mindfulness practice on the well-being of university students and staff. Current Psychology. 2023;42(6):4412-21.
11. Ahne E, Rosselli M. The impact of a single, brief mindfulness intervention on cognitive and emotional reactivity: an EEG study. Mindfulness. 2024;15(8):1940-57.
12. García-Ros R, Pérez-González F, Tomás JM, Sancho P. Effects of self-regulated learning and procrastination on academic stress, subjective well-being, and academic achievement in secondary education. Current Psychology. 2023;42(30):26602-16.
13. Cjuno J, Palomino-Ccasa J, Silva-Fernandez RG, Soncco-Aquino M, Lumba-Bautista O, Hernández RM. Academic procrastination, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in university students: a look during the pandemic. Iranian journal of psychiatry. 2023;18(1):11.
14. Ayadi N, Pireinaladin S, Shokri M, Dargahi S, Zarein F. Investigating the mediating role of procrastination in the relationship between positive and negative perfectionism and mobile phone addiction in gifted students. Iranian journal of psychiatry. 2021;16(1):30.
15. Galindo-Domínguez H, Bezanilla MJ. The Importance of Personality and Self-Efficacy for Stress Management in Higher Education. International Journal of Educational Psychology. 2021;10(3):247-70.
16. Rodríguez S, González-Suárez R, Vieites T, Piñeiro I, Díaz-Freire FM. Self-regulation and students well-being: A systematic review 2010–2020. Sustainability. 2022;14(4):2346.
17. Fan L, Cui F. Mindfulness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation as predictors of psychological well-being in EFL learners. Frontiers in Psychology. 2024;15:1332002.
18. Cheng YTD, Young KWD, Carlbring P, Ng YN, Hung SLS. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Among People Recovering from Mental Illness: A Tailored Mindfulness-Based Intervention versus Relaxation Training. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work. 2024;21(3):318-48.
19. Raugh IM, Strauss GP. Integrating mindfulness into the extended process model of emotion regulation: The dual-mode model of mindful emotion regulation. Emotion. 2024;24(3):847.
20. Jing S, Dai Z, Liu X, Yang X, Cheng J, Chen T, et al. Effectiveness of Neurofeedback-Assisted and Conventional 6-Week Web-Based Mindfulness Interventions on Mental Health of Chinese Nursing Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2025;27:e71741.
21. Mansueto G, Marino C, Palmieri S, Offredi A, Sarracino D, Sassaroli S, et al. Difficulties in emotion regulation: The role of repetitive negative thinking and metacognitive beliefs. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022;308:473-83.
22. Inzlicht M, Werner KM, Briskin JL, Roberts BW. Integrating models of self-regulation. Annual review of psychology. 2021;72(1):319-45.
23. Fell J. Mind wandering, poor sleep, and negative affect: a threefold vicious cycle? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2024;18:1441565.
24. Xiang Y, Yuan R. Why do people with high dispositional gratitude tend to experience high life satisfaction? A broaden-and-build theory perspective. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2021;22(6):2485-98.
25. Xu J, Choi M-C. Can emotional intelligence increase the positive psychological capital and life satisfaction of Chinese university students? Behavioral Sciences. 2023;13(7):614.
26. Trigueros R, Aguilar-Parra JM, Cangas AJ, López-Liria R, Álvarez JF. Influence of physical education teachers on motivation, embarrassment and the intention of being physically active during adolescence. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2019;16(13):2295.
27. Liu S, Yu F, Yan C. The impact of higher education expansion on subjective well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from Chinese Social Survey. Sustainability. 2023;15(7):5705.
28. Malik S, Perveen A. Mindfulness and anxiety among university students: Moderating role of cognitive emotion regulation. Current Psychology. 2023;42(7):5621-8.
29. Serdar CC, Cihan M, Yücel D, Serdar MA. Sample size, power and effect size revisited: simplified and practical approaches in pre-clinical, clinical and laboratory studies. Biochemia medica. 2021;31(1):27-53.
30. Jiang W, Luo J, Guan H. Gender difference in the relationship of physical activity and subjective happiness among Chinese university students. Frontiers in psychology. 2021;12:800515.
31. She Z, Li D, Zhang W, Zhou N, Xi J, Ju K. Three versions of the perceived stress scale: psychometric evaluation in a nationally representative sample of Chinese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021;18(16):8312.
32. Jiang C, Ma H, Luo Y, Fong DYT, Umucu E, Zheng H, et al. Validation of the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 integrating exploratory graph analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. General Hospital Psychiatry. 2023;84:194-202.
33. Deng Y-Q, Li S, Tang Y-Y, Zhu L-H, Ryan R, Brown K. Psychometric properties of the Chinese translation of the mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS). Mindfulness. 2012;3:10-4.
34. Zhou Y, Bullock A, Liu J, Fu R, Coplan RJ, Cheah CS. Validation of the self-regulation scale in Chinese children. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. 2016;34(6):589-94.
35. Ringle CM, Sarstedt M, Sinkovics N, Sinkovics RR. A perspective on using partial least squares structural equation modelling in data articles. Data in Brief. 2023;48:109074.
36. Latan H, Hair Jr JF, Noonan R, Sabol M. Introduction to the partial least squares path modeling: Basic concepts and recent methodological enhancements. Partial Least Squares path modeling: Basic concepts, methodological issues and applications: Springer; 2023. p. 3-21.
37. Triastuti N, Salsabila Jayadiputra A. The Influence of Social Support, Self-Efficacy, Physical Activity, and Personality Type on Stress Levels among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Medicinal and Chemical Sciences. 2024;7(7):886-96.
38. Wang X. Exploring the impact of mindfulness, subjective well-being, and music engagement on academic performance of students in higher educational institutions. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. 2025;12(1):1-14.
39. Miniati M, Orrù G, Paroli M, Cinque M, Paolicchi A, Gemignani A, et al. Patients with chronic pain: are mindfulness traits protective against distress, anxiety and depression? Clinical Neuropsychiatry. 2023;20(5):429.
40. Motevalli S, Sulaiman T, Hamzah MSG, Garmjani MG, Kamaliyeh NG, Roslan S. The effects of cognitive restructuring intervention on state and trait anxiety among Iranian high school students. World Applied Sciences Journal. 2013;26(11):1499-504.
41. Hanley A, Warner A, Garland EL. Associations between mindfulness, psychological well-being, and subjective well-being with respect to contemplative practice. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2015;16:1423-36.
42. Nakhostin-Khayyat M, Borjali M, Zeinali M, Fardi D, Montazeri A. The relationship between self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, and resilience among students: a structural equation modeling. BMC psychology. 2024;12(1):337.
43. Riepenhausen A, Wackerhagen C, Reppmann ZC, Deter H-C, Kalisch R, Veer IM, et al. Positive cognitive reappraisal in stress resilience, mental health, and well-being: A comprehensive systematic review. Emotion Review. 2022;14(4):310-31.
44. Deep PD, Chen Y, Ghosh N, Basith II. The Impact of Integrating Mindfulness in the Classroom on Well-Being and Academic Success Among College Students During COVID-19 and Beyond. Social Sciences. 2025;14(4):218.
45. Joseph N, Nallapati A, Machado MX, Nair V, Matele S, Muthusamy N, et al. Assessment of academic stress and its coping mechanisms among medical undergraduate students in a large Midwestern university. Current Psychology. 2021;40:2599-609.
46. Motevalli S, Hamzah MSG, Roslan S, Hamzah SRa, Garmjani MG. The Effects of Study Skills Training on Qualitative Academic Achievement among Students. Asian Journal of University Education. 2021;17(3):130-41.
47. Thorsén F, Antonson C, Palmér K, Berg R, Sundquist J, Sundquist K. Associations between perceived stress and health outcomes in adolescents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. 2022;16(1):75.
48. Poerio GL, Totterdell P, Miles E. Mind-wandering and negative mood: Does one thing really lead to another? Consciousness and cognition. 2013;22(4):1412-21.
49. Finkelstein-Fox L, Park CL, Riley KE. Mindfulness and emotion regulation: Promoting well-being during the transition to college. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping. 2018;31(6):639-53.
2. Besharat M-A, Khadem H, Zarei V, Momtaz A. Mediating role of perceived stress in the relationship between facing existential issues and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry. 2020;15(1):80.
3. Rastegarian A, Bazrafshan A, Keshavarz P. Happiness and internet addiction among high school girls in Iran: A single-center experience. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry. 2022;17(4):388.
4. Li R, Kajanoja J, Lindblom J, Korja R, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, et al. The role of alexithymia and perceived stress in mental health responses to COVID-19: a conditional process model. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022;306:9-18.
5. Farhoumandi N, Zarean M, Nasiri M, Jega M. Somatization mediates the structural relationship of alexithymia with anxiety and depression. Iranian journal of psychiatry. 2022;17(2):144.
6. Khaleghi A, Mohammadi MR, Shahi K, Nasrabadi AM. Computational neuroscience approach to psychiatry: A review on theory-driven approaches. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. 2022;20(1):26.
7. Tran MAQ, Vo-Thanh T, Soliman M, Ha AT, Van Pham M. Could mindfulness diminish mental health disorders? The serial mediating role of self-compassion and psychological well-being. Current Psychology. 2024;43(15):13909-22.
8. Khaleghi A, Shahi K, Saidi M, Babaee N, Kaveh R, Mohammadian A. Linear and nonlinear analysis of multimodal physiological data for affective arousal recognition. Cognitive Neurodynamics. 2024:1-12.
9. Bunjak A, Černe M, Schölly EL. Exploring the past, present, and future of the mindfulness field: A multitechnique bibliometric review. Frontiers in psychology. 2022;13:792599.
10. Lahtinen O, Aaltonen J, Kaakinen J, Franklin L, Hyönä J. The effects of app-based mindfulness practice on the well-being of university students and staff. Current Psychology. 2023;42(6):4412-21.
11. Ahne E, Rosselli M. The impact of a single, brief mindfulness intervention on cognitive and emotional reactivity: an EEG study. Mindfulness. 2024;15(8):1940-57.
12. García-Ros R, Pérez-González F, Tomás JM, Sancho P. Effects of self-regulated learning and procrastination on academic stress, subjective well-being, and academic achievement in secondary education. Current Psychology. 2023;42(30):26602-16.
13. Cjuno J, Palomino-Ccasa J, Silva-Fernandez RG, Soncco-Aquino M, Lumba-Bautista O, Hernández RM. Academic procrastination, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in university students: a look during the pandemic. Iranian journal of psychiatry. 2023;18(1):11.
14. Ayadi N, Pireinaladin S, Shokri M, Dargahi S, Zarein F. Investigating the mediating role of procrastination in the relationship between positive and negative perfectionism and mobile phone addiction in gifted students. Iranian journal of psychiatry. 2021;16(1):30.
15. Galindo-Domínguez H, Bezanilla MJ. The Importance of Personality and Self-Efficacy for Stress Management in Higher Education. International Journal of Educational Psychology. 2021;10(3):247-70.
16. Rodríguez S, González-Suárez R, Vieites T, Piñeiro I, Díaz-Freire FM. Self-regulation and students well-being: A systematic review 2010–2020. Sustainability. 2022;14(4):2346.
17. Fan L, Cui F. Mindfulness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation as predictors of psychological well-being in EFL learners. Frontiers in Psychology. 2024;15:1332002.
18. Cheng YTD, Young KWD, Carlbring P, Ng YN, Hung SLS. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Among People Recovering from Mental Illness: A Tailored Mindfulness-Based Intervention versus Relaxation Training. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work. 2024;21(3):318-48.
19. Raugh IM, Strauss GP. Integrating mindfulness into the extended process model of emotion regulation: The dual-mode model of mindful emotion regulation. Emotion. 2024;24(3):847.
20. Jing S, Dai Z, Liu X, Yang X, Cheng J, Chen T, et al. Effectiveness of Neurofeedback-Assisted and Conventional 6-Week Web-Based Mindfulness Interventions on Mental Health of Chinese Nursing Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2025;27:e71741.
21. Mansueto G, Marino C, Palmieri S, Offredi A, Sarracino D, Sassaroli S, et al. Difficulties in emotion regulation: The role of repetitive negative thinking and metacognitive beliefs. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022;308:473-83.
22. Inzlicht M, Werner KM, Briskin JL, Roberts BW. Integrating models of self-regulation. Annual review of psychology. 2021;72(1):319-45.
23. Fell J. Mind wandering, poor sleep, and negative affect: a threefold vicious cycle? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2024;18:1441565.
24. Xiang Y, Yuan R. Why do people with high dispositional gratitude tend to experience high life satisfaction? A broaden-and-build theory perspective. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2021;22(6):2485-98.
25. Xu J, Choi M-C. Can emotional intelligence increase the positive psychological capital and life satisfaction of Chinese university students? Behavioral Sciences. 2023;13(7):614.
26. Trigueros R, Aguilar-Parra JM, Cangas AJ, López-Liria R, Álvarez JF. Influence of physical education teachers on motivation, embarrassment and the intention of being physically active during adolescence. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2019;16(13):2295.
27. Liu S, Yu F, Yan C. The impact of higher education expansion on subjective well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from Chinese Social Survey. Sustainability. 2023;15(7):5705.
28. Malik S, Perveen A. Mindfulness and anxiety among university students: Moderating role of cognitive emotion regulation. Current Psychology. 2023;42(7):5621-8.
29. Serdar CC, Cihan M, Yücel D, Serdar MA. Sample size, power and effect size revisited: simplified and practical approaches in pre-clinical, clinical and laboratory studies. Biochemia medica. 2021;31(1):27-53.
30. Jiang W, Luo J, Guan H. Gender difference in the relationship of physical activity and subjective happiness among Chinese university students. Frontiers in psychology. 2021;12:800515.
31. She Z, Li D, Zhang W, Zhou N, Xi J, Ju K. Three versions of the perceived stress scale: psychometric evaluation in a nationally representative sample of Chinese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021;18(16):8312.
32. Jiang C, Ma H, Luo Y, Fong DYT, Umucu E, Zheng H, et al. Validation of the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 integrating exploratory graph analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. General Hospital Psychiatry. 2023;84:194-202.
33. Deng Y-Q, Li S, Tang Y-Y, Zhu L-H, Ryan R, Brown K. Psychometric properties of the Chinese translation of the mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS). Mindfulness. 2012;3:10-4.
34. Zhou Y, Bullock A, Liu J, Fu R, Coplan RJ, Cheah CS. Validation of the self-regulation scale in Chinese children. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. 2016;34(6):589-94.
35. Ringle CM, Sarstedt M, Sinkovics N, Sinkovics RR. A perspective on using partial least squares structural equation modelling in data articles. Data in Brief. 2023;48:109074.
36. Latan H, Hair Jr JF, Noonan R, Sabol M. Introduction to the partial least squares path modeling: Basic concepts and recent methodological enhancements. Partial Least Squares path modeling: Basic concepts, methodological issues and applications: Springer; 2023. p. 3-21.
37. Triastuti N, Salsabila Jayadiputra A. The Influence of Social Support, Self-Efficacy, Physical Activity, and Personality Type on Stress Levels among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Medicinal and Chemical Sciences. 2024;7(7):886-96.
38. Wang X. Exploring the impact of mindfulness, subjective well-being, and music engagement on academic performance of students in higher educational institutions. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. 2025;12(1):1-14.
39. Miniati M, Orrù G, Paroli M, Cinque M, Paolicchi A, Gemignani A, et al. Patients with chronic pain: are mindfulness traits protective against distress, anxiety and depression? Clinical Neuropsychiatry. 2023;20(5):429.
40. Motevalli S, Sulaiman T, Hamzah MSG, Garmjani MG, Kamaliyeh NG, Roslan S. The effects of cognitive restructuring intervention on state and trait anxiety among Iranian high school students. World Applied Sciences Journal. 2013;26(11):1499-504.
41. Hanley A, Warner A, Garland EL. Associations between mindfulness, psychological well-being, and subjective well-being with respect to contemplative practice. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2015;16:1423-36.
42. Nakhostin-Khayyat M, Borjali M, Zeinali M, Fardi D, Montazeri A. The relationship between self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, and resilience among students: a structural equation modeling. BMC psychology. 2024;12(1):337.
43. Riepenhausen A, Wackerhagen C, Reppmann ZC, Deter H-C, Kalisch R, Veer IM, et al. Positive cognitive reappraisal in stress resilience, mental health, and well-being: A comprehensive systematic review. Emotion Review. 2022;14(4):310-31.
44. Deep PD, Chen Y, Ghosh N, Basith II. The Impact of Integrating Mindfulness in the Classroom on Well-Being and Academic Success Among College Students During COVID-19 and Beyond. Social Sciences. 2025;14(4):218.
45. Joseph N, Nallapati A, Machado MX, Nair V, Matele S, Muthusamy N, et al. Assessment of academic stress and its coping mechanisms among medical undergraduate students in a large Midwestern university. Current Psychology. 2021;40:2599-609.
46. Motevalli S, Hamzah MSG, Roslan S, Hamzah SRa, Garmjani MG. The Effects of Study Skills Training on Qualitative Academic Achievement among Students. Asian Journal of University Education. 2021;17(3):130-41.
47. Thorsén F, Antonson C, Palmér K, Berg R, Sundquist J, Sundquist K. Associations between perceived stress and health outcomes in adolescents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. 2022;16(1):75.
48. Poerio GL, Totterdell P, Miles E. Mind-wandering and negative mood: Does one thing really lead to another? Consciousness and cognition. 2013;22(4):1412-21.
49. Finkelstein-Fox L, Park CL, Riley KE. Mindfulness and emotion regulation: Promoting well-being during the transition to college. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping. 2018;31(6):639-53.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 20 No 3 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Mental Health Mindfulness Psychological Psychologic Stress Self-Regulation Well Being | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Xiong L, Talif R, Motevalli S. Mediating Role of Mindfulness and Self-Regulation in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Subjective Well-Being Among University Students. Iran J Psychiatry. 2025;20(3):346-355.
