The Effect Of Mindfulness On Mental Health In Junior High School Students:the Mediating Role Of Gratitude

Adolescent mental health problems have been widely concerned by the society,especially in the physiological and psychological rapid development of junior high school students,their mental health is a topic that scholars pay attention to.In order to explore how mindfulness affects the mental health of junior high school students and explore the mechanism of gratitude,this study used the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale(MAAS),the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale(DASS-21)and the Adolescent Gratitude Scale(AGS)as tools.A total of 800 students from Grade 7 to grade 9 from two middle schools in Nanning,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were selected for questionnaire survey.Data were collated and analyzed by SPSS26.0.The results are as follows:(1)Overall,the mental health status of junior high school students is good(mean value is less than the theoretical median value 2).(2)The mental health of junior middle school students was significantly different in gender(t =-4.54,p<0.001),and the total score of mental health of girls was significantly higher than that of boys;The mental health of junior high school students was also significantly different in grade(F = 4.02,P<0.05).The total score of mental health of ninth grade students was significantly better than that of other age groups(seventh and eighth grade).There is no significant difference in the mental health of junior middle school students in whether they are the only child or not,but it can be found that the total score of mental health of non-only children is higher than that of only children.(3)Stress is the main form of mental health problems of junior high school students.Junior high school students have the lowest score in gratitude and return for social favors.(4)In terms of the correlation of variables,mindfulness,gratitude and mental health of junior high school students were correlated in pairs.There was a significant negative correlation between mindfulness and depression,a significant negative correlation between mindfulness and anxiety,and a significant negative correlation between mindfulness and stress.There was a significant positive correlation between mindfulness and gratitude,a significant negative correlation between gratitude and depression,a significant negative correlation between gratitude and anxiety.Gratitude was negatively correlated with stress.(5)Gratitude partially mediates the relationship between mindfulness and depression,mindfulness and stress,but has no significant mediating effect between mindfulness and anxiety.Conclusion: There is a close relationship between the mental health of junior high school students and mindfulness and gratitude,and gratitude plays a partial mediating role between mindfulness and depression,mindfulness and stress.Educational suggestions: the topic of mindfulness should be set up in the curriculum of mental health education and infiltrate into all aspects of school education;Attach great importance to gratitude education,cultivate gratitude characteristics,always have a grateful heart;Home-school co-parenting,always pay attention to the mental health of junior high school students.