Mindfulness as a Buffer Against Stress: A Moderation Analysis of University Student Psychological Well-Being

University students frequently experience elevated stress that negatively impacts psychological well-being. Excessive stress acts as a barrier to well-being, academic success, and overall quality of life for university students, which can pose ongoing challenges for universities in supporting students effectively. Mindfulness, which is typically defined as present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness, has been proposed as a potential protective factor. Although prior research links mindfulness to lower stress and increased well-being, its buffering role between stress and psychological well-being remains unclear in undergraduate populations. Addressing this gap is important for informing evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting resilience and retention in higher education. This cross-sectional survey examined whether trait attentional awareness (i.e., a foundational component of mindfulness) moderated the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being among University of Calgary undergraduate students (N = 237). Participants completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the 18-item Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS). Due to poor reliability and inadequate fit of the theorized six-factor PWBS structure, exploratory factor analysis supported a two-factor solution representing hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. These factors were used as outcomes in two moderated regression models. Results indicated that perceived stress was a significant negative predictor of both forms of well-being, whereas attentional awareness demonstrated a small positive association with hedonic well-being only. Attentional awareness did not moderate the stress–well-being relationship for either outcome. Overall, the findings indicate that attentional awareness, as operationalized in the present study, was associated with well-being but did not function as a stress-buffering factor in this undergraduate sample. Results highlight the need for multidimensional mindfulness measures and more psychometrically robust well-being instruments in future research.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education Graduate Program – Educational Psychology

Grantor

Werklund School of Education

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Epp, Angela

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Nordstokke, David

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Andrews, John (Jac) William
• Wilcox, Gabrielle

• Mindfulness
• Psychology
• Well-Being
• Stress

Statement dc:rights

• Unless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/51114

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/124176