A Study on Impact of Psychological Distress on Mindfulness and Meaning in Life among Young Adults

Abstract

One of the most common questions posed by humans throughout contemporary history is to reflect on the meaning of life. We all are in search of purpose, meaning and the conviction that our lives are greater than the sum of our parts. Fortunately, since we are resourceful beings, there are countless possible ways for us to find purpose. Every circumstance, occasion, event, and setting can have significance. In life, individuals can discover significance in the magnificent or even in the dull and miserable moments as well. Moreover, another aspect that is valued by humans is mindfulness. It is the ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, not unduly reactive or overwhelmed by what is happening around us. Although mindfulness is a quality we all have, we can all access it more easily when we practice regularly. The practice of mindfulness is focusing entirely on the present moment, without passing judgment on it or without making any projections for the future or the past. It typically entails to be “in the now.” But nowadays due to high pacing, people are struggling to achieve these gems in their life as there is so much hustle and bustle today, making people lose touch with the essence of life, especially young adults. Young adulthood is a special developmental stage during which the young adults engage in important developmental activities that allow for self-discovery and identity construction. It is a transitional stage of life when they are usually expected to become financially independent, form romantic attachments and take on responsibilities as active and engaged members of the community. Sometimes these expectations lead to mental burden known as psychological distress. These are symptoms and experiences of a person’s inner life that are typically seen as unpleasant or confusing. This kind of distress may modify an individual’s behavior as well as have a negative impact on their emotions and thoughts. The present study aims to investigate the impact of psychological distress on mindfulness and meaning in life among young adults. For this purpose, a sample of 100 young adults (50 Males and 50 Females) was collected in the age range of 18-25 years. In addition to this, standardized tools were used to measure psychological distress, mindfulness and meaning in life among young adults. The results found out that there was a significant negative correlation between psychological distress and mindfulness and presence of meaning in life. Moreover, mindfulness and presence of meaning in life were positively correlated to each other. Psychological distress was higher in females as compared to males. It was also observed that psychological distress is a predictor of mindfulness and presence of meaning in life. To overcome the emerging problem of distress among adults there are various therapies and techniques through improving one’s mindfulness which helps to acknowledge emotions and their root cause and helps to examine the sensations in the very present moment. Individuals who do not have any meaning attached to their life are more prone to develop psychological distress and other psychological problems. It is important to develop meaning in life as it provides individuals a motive to go through their life.