“It’s Complicated”: Exploring the Mindfulness-Alcohol Use Connection in Undergraduate Students

We sought to further clarify the underlying connections between facets of mindfulness, alcohol use, and mental health. A total of 203 at-risk college students at a southeastern university participated in this quantitative, cross-sectional study. We specifically explored (1) the extent to which dispositional mindfulness correlated with neuroticism (i.e., anxiety, depression, and happiness) and (2) the connection between facets of mindfulness and problematic alcohol use, including the predictive ability of mindfulness traits to recent drinking-related consequences. Results revealed low mindfulness was associated with higher negative emotion and lower happiness. In contrast, nuanced relationships were found among mindfulness facets and risky alcohol use. Specifically, Acting with Awareness was a significant negative predictor of recent drinking-related consequences, while Nonjudging was a significant positive predictor. Mindfulness appears to be a protective factor for neurotic subtraits, though further research is needed to clarify the impact of mindfulness facets on alcohol and other substance use behaviors.