Mindfulness Processes that Mitigate COVID-Related Stressors in Caregivers in the United States

Abstract

Mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on child development involves understanding the impact of the pandemic on caregiver well-being and factors that protect against stress associated with the virus and measures used to reduce disease transmission. Mindfulness has become popularized in the West, with promising evidence that it may reduce caregiver stress. There is limited research examining the specific elements of mindfulness as it relates to caregiving instead of studying mindfulness as a singular construct. We examined whether the number of COVID-related stressors was related to caregivers’ stress, and whether this stress was reduced by their reported level of mindfulness. We examined whether four mindfulness processes: self-compassion, nonreactivity, nonjudging, and acting with awareness – buffered the impact of stressors on caregivers’ stress one month later in a sample of caregivers in the United States (N = 330). When accounting for other mindfulness processes, acting with awareness was the only significant moderator of COVID-related stressors and caregivers’ stress one month later. We discuss implications for recommendations to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on caregivers’ stress through reducing stress and thus promoting well-being in caregivers.