Relationships among mindfulness, anxiety and depression in surface warship soldiers: the mediating role of attentional control

Objective To investigate the relationships between mindfulness, anxiety and depression in surface warship soldiers and the mediating role of attentional control. Methods Chinese versions of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Attentional Control Scale (ACS) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) were used to survey 475 surface warship soldiers. Single factor analysis of variance, correlation analysis and path analysis were conducted by SPSS 20.0 and Amos18.0. Results ① The scores of the state anxiety, trait anxiety and depression in the soldiers and noncommissioned officers were significantly higher than that of commissioned officers (P<0.05). As for the state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression and attentional focusing, there were statistically significant differences among different educational levels (P<0.05). Specifically, the lower educational level, the higher anxiety and depression, the lower control focusing. ② There were significant positive correlations among attentional focusing (27.12±4.43), attentional shifting (29.43±3.78) and mindfulness (120.27±11.16, r=0.49-0.51, P<0.01). State anxiety (38.65±10.07) was negatively correlated with attentional focusing, attentional shifting and mindfulness (r=-0.32--0.54, P<0.01). Similar results were observed for trait anxiety (41.28±8.79) and depression (9.97±10.13). ③Attentional focusing partially mediated the relationships between state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression and mindfulness. Conclusion Anxiety and depression of soldiers have obvious relationships with kinds of soldiers’ rank and education level. Mindfulness and attentional control are vital protective factors for marine army’s mental health. This study indicates that mindfulness may improve individuals’ attentional focusing and attentional shifting, and ameliorate negative moods such as anxiety and depression. Key words: Mindfulness; State anxiety; Trait anxiety; Depression; Attentional control