Facets of dispositional mindfulness and perceived stress in Lebanese adolescents

Abstract

This research aims to better understand the relationship between facets of dispositional mindfulness and perceived stress in Lebanese adolescents. This research is interested to explore the degrees to which the various mindfulness facets are present and which facets are important for managing perceived stress in the Lebanese adolescent population. A convenient sample of 108 school adolescents in Lebanon, were given selfreport questionnaires including; Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Results indicated that general Mindfulness was negatively correlated with perceived stress in adolescents at high significance (r= -.63, p= 0.01). The non-reactivity (r= -.48, p= 0.01) and acting with awareness facets (r= -.47, p= 0.01) were most significantly negatively correlated to reduced perceived stress, followed by the describing (r= -.39, p= 0.01) and non-judging facet (r= -.32, p= 0.01). Female adolescents scores showed higher levels of perceived stress and lower on the non-judgmental facet than their male counterparts. The results suggest that implementing a mindfulness program with Lebanese adolescents to increase dispositional mindfulness may help them reduce their perceived stress. Based on these findings, if an intervention is to be tailored in the future for adolescents, it is recommended that an emphasis be placed on non-reactivity and acting with awareness skills, keeping in mind that all facets must be integrated into the intervention as they function simultaneously to provide the benefits of mindfulness.