Studies have shown that mindfulness practices can be protective against substance use. Dispositional mindfulness (DM) is hypothesized to have five aspects: observing (noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations), describing (labeling thoughts, feelings, and sensations), acting with awareness (acknowledging present moments), non-judgement (neutrality to inward experiences), and non-reactivity (allowing feelings to come and go without reaction). Each of these five facets may have different associations with substance use behaviors. In previous literature, acting with awareness, non-judgement, and non-reactivity have been related to substance use while observing and describing have been unrelated to substance use. Additionally, the relationship between the facets of DM and substance use behaviors may differ based on the type of substance. This study examines the subtypes of DM and their associations with cannabis use behaviors among college students.
The study’s sample consisted of 683 U.S. college students who endorsed past-month cannabis use. Participants completed an online survey that assessed quantity and frequency of alcohol use in the past 30 days, frequency of cannabis-associated consequences in the past 30 days, and incidences of risky cannabis use over the past 6 months. Students also completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and were asked to report any previous or current mindfulness experiences. Data was analyzed using a latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine for differences across profiles in cannabis use behaviors and alcohol use.
Results of the data analysis showed 63.9% of participants did not have any prior experiences with mindfulness mediation. Participants who did have prior experiences had higher mean scores on observing and describing and lower scores on acting with awareness and non-judgement. The LPA revealed three profiles of DM: non-judgmentally aware (9%; high levels of non-judgement and acting with awareness), judgmentally observing (25%; high levels of observing and non-reactivity and low levels of non-judgement), and moderate traits (67%; moderate/average levels of all five facets. Students in the judgmentally observing profile had more hazardous cannabis use and more cannabis-related consequences use compared to the other two profiles.
Takeaway: Dispositional mindfulness may impact hazardous cannabis use and cannabis-related consequences among college students.