Wicks, Tiffany (2011) Mindfulness Skills, Problem-Solving Appraisal and Depressive Symptoms: An Exploratory Study. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Depression is the leading cause of non-fatal disability in Australia, and within the next 20 years, the illness is expected to be the second leading cause of death (Beyond Blue, 2006). Evidently there is a pressing requirement for innovative and cost-effective treatments to manage the prevalent mental illness. Empirical research has repeatedly found an inverse relationship between social problem-solving and depressive symptoms in varying samples and populations (e.g., Chow & Chan, 2010; Grant, Elliot, Giger, & Bartolucci, 2001; Heppner & Anderson, 1985; Nezu, 1986). Extending on this, longitudinal research has suggested that perceived ineffective problem solving may play a causal role in predicting the onset of a depressive episode (Dixon, 2000; Dixon, Heppner, Burnett, Anderson, & Wood, 1993; Nezu & Ronan, 1988). Furthermore, research has demonstrated that therapies, which build on an individual’s problem-solving abilities, are effective in reducing depressive symptoms (e.g., Gellis et al., 2008; Nezu, 1986; Nezu & Perri, 1989). Recently, a study by Argus and Thompson (2008), found that mindfulness, a relatively novel concept in the psychological literature, which has also been inversely linked to depression (e.g., Barnes & Lynn, 2010; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Coffey & Hartman, 2008), may also improve on an individual’s social problem-solving. Moreover, the study found that mindfulness may be a mechanism through which social problem-solving has an effect on depressive symptoms (Argus & Thompson, 2008). The current cross-sectional study aimed to extend on the research by Argus and Thompson (2008) by (a) examining the relationships between individual mindfulness skills, perceived problem-solving and depressive symptoms, and by (b) examining whether individual mindfulness skills would mediate the relationship between problem-solving and depressive symptoms. Mindfulness skills were assessed using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006). Perceived problem-solving was measured using the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI; Heppner & Peterson, 1982), and depressive symptoms were assessed utilising the 21 item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21; P. F. Lovibond & S. H Lovibond, 1995). Data were collected via an online survey, of which a total of 438 individuals completed, including 72 males and 366 females. A wide variety of ages were represented in the sample, ranging from 16 – 83 years, with a mean age of 34 years (SD = 13 years). The sample also included individuals from varying cultures: Australian and New Zealand residents (N = 407), five of whom identified as being Aboriginal, British (N = 5), Canadian (N = 1), Hong Kong (N = 1), South African (N = 15), Southern Sudan (N = 1), United States of America (N = 2), and Zimbabwean (N = 1). A wide variety of education levels and occupations were additionally represented in the sample. Overall, the sample included 62.1% USQ students (N = 272), and 37.9% (N = 166) non-USQ students. Results indicated that all FFMQ mindfulness skills were significantly (p < .001) and inversely related to depressive symptoms, with effect sizes ranging from small (r = -.14) to large ( r = -.59; Cohen, 1988). As expected, problem-solving appraisal was found to be significantly (p < .001) and positively related to depressive symptoms (positively related, as lower scores on the PSI indicate higher perceived problem-solving), with a medium effect size (r = .40). Moreover, all FFMQ mindfulness skills were significantly (p < .001) and negatively related to perceived problem-solving (negatively related, as lower scores on the PSI indicate higher perceived problem-solving), with effect sizes ranging from medium (r = -.38) to large (r = -.57; Cohen, 1988). The current study also determined that all mindfulness skills, excluding observe, partially mediated the relationship between perceived problem-solving and depressive symptoms. Although causality cannot be established, the findings suggested that mindfulness may improve on an individual’s problem-solving abilities, and may be a mechanism through which problem-solving has an effect on depressive symptoms. The findings from the current study consequently have implications for clinical practice, and suggest that Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) and Mindfulness Based Therapies (MBT’s) may work in complimentary of each other in targeting depressive symptoms.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Gavin Beccaria |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Nov 2025 01:35 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Nov 2025 01:35 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52879 |
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