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Mind Over Matter: Mindfulness, Income, Resilience, and Life Quality of Vocational High School Students in China

Author

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  • Shannon Cheung

    (School of Social Work, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA)

  • Xiaoxia Xie

    (Research Institute of Social Development, Southwestern University of Finance & Economics, Chengdu 611300, China)

  • Chien-chung Huang

    (School of Social Work, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA)

Abstract

Many social welfare programs focus on the provision of cash assistance and cash transfers to improve the quality of life (QoL) of those living in low-income households. While there is literature to support a positive relationship between income and QoL, studies have shown that QoL is impacted by non-income-related factors. This study examined the effects of income and mindfulness on QoL through a mediator, resilience, and attempts to answer the question of how important income is to QoL, relative to a non-income-based determinant, mindfulness. Using a sample of 905 emerging adults from the senior class of a secondary vocational high school based in an impoverished county of China, we studied two key determinants of QoL, income and mindfulness, as well as respective pathways, during a particularly critical stage of life. The results indicated that mindfulness had strong direct and indirect effects on QoL via resilience, while income had only limited indirect effects on QoL via resilience. Policy implications were discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Shannon Cheung & Xiaoxia Xie & Chien-chung Huang, 2020. "Mind Over Matter: Mindfulness, Income, Resilience, and Life Quality of Vocational High School Students in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:16:p:5701-:d:395703
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    Cited by:

    1. Chien-Chung Huang & Shuang Lu & Juan Rios & Yafan Chen & Marci Stringham & Shannon Cheung, 2020. "Associations between Mindfulness, Executive Function, Social-Emotional Skills, and Quality of Life among Hispanic Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-12, October.
    2. Ming Chen & Rebecca Y. M. Cheung, 2021. "Testing Interdependent Self-Construal as a Moderator between Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, and Psychological Health among Emerging Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-12, January.
    3. Chien-Chung Huang & Yuanfa Tan & Shannon P. Cheung & Hongwei Hu, 2021. "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychological Well-Being in Chinese College Students: Mediation Effect of Mindfulness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-12, February.

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