The Day After: The Longitudinal Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Quality of Life of University Students and the Moderator Role of Mindfulness

Abstract

[eng] The COVID-19 lockdown has been a major stressor for the general population,</p><p>posing a considerable threat to quality of life (QoL), particularly among university students. Existing</p><p>research highlights the protective role of dispositional mindfulness (DM) in mitigating stressors;</p><p>however, its influence on moderating the impact of COVID-19 on QoL remains unknown. We used</p><p>a longitudinal design to assess the QoL of undergraduate students before and after the COVID-19</p><p>lockdown, while also examining the potential moderating effect of DM on this impact. Methods: One</p><p>hundred eleven Spanish undergraduate students were recruited in 2019, and 103 were followed-up in</p><p>2020. Instruments comprised a demographic questionnaire, theWorld Health Organization Quality of</p><p>Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) inventory to assess QoL, and the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire</p><p>(FFMQ) to assess DM. Results: Analyses revealed statistically significant differences between the two</p><p>time points in WHOQOL-BREF: Psychological, Social Relationships, and Environmental. Moderation</p><p>analyses revealed that the impact of COVID-19 on WHOQOL-BREF Psychological scores was moderated</p><p>by FFMQ-Observe and FFMQ-Non-judging. Conclusions: The COVID-19 lockdown resulted in</p><p>a reduction of QoL among undergraduate students, yet this impact was moderated by DM. Specifically,</p><p>present moment attention to experience (observe) and non-judgmental awareness attenuated</p><p>the impact of COVID-19 on psychological well-being. Future research should focus on evaluating the</p><p>protective role of preventive interventions designed to increase DM among undergraduate students.</p>