Self-esteem mediates the relationship between mindfulness and social anxiety among Chinese undergraduate students

• Jianfeng Tan

  Guangdong Medical College

• Pouchan Lo

  Macau Psychotherapy Association

• Nie Ge

  City University of Macau

• Chengjing Chu

  Guangdong Medical College

We examined self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between mindfulness and social anxiety in a Chinese cultural context. Participants comprised 508 Chinese undergraduate students, who completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Interaction Anxiousness Scale. Results showed that social anxiety was negatively correlated with mindfulness and self-esteem, and that mindfulness was positively correlated with self-esteem. Mediation analysis revealed that self-esteem partially mediated the association between mindfulness and social anxiety. Thus, we suggest that mindfulness decreases social anxiety because high mindfulness fosters high self-esteem. Mindfulness practice, for example, meditation, can be used as a preventive therapy to help Chinese adults to reduce their social anxiety, and can also enhance the self-esteem of socially anxious Chinese adults.

1. Jianfeng Tan, Guangdong Medical College
   Department of Psychology
2. Nie Ge, City University of Macau
   Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
3. Chengjing Chu, Guangdong Medical College
   Department of Psychology

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