Non-reactivity, Non-judging, Control of Thoughts Beliefs and Acting with Awareness as Predicators of Depression Symptoms among Student Teachers

Abstract

People with depressive disorder tend to focus their attention on more interesting and unpleasant
information, interpret it negatively and create pessimistic beliefs in its light. The present study aimed at
identifying (1) the predictability of depression through the mindfulness facets (observing, describing,
acting with awareness, non-judging of inner experience, non- reactivity to inner experience), (2) the
predictability of depression through obsessional beliefs (overestimation of threat/responsibility,
perfectionism/certainty and importance/control of thoughts), and (3) the eight variables that are able to
predict depression symptoms. The study tools were administered to 400 students at the Faculty of
Education (190 males and 210 females), Assuit University. The study tools included: the five facets of
mindfulness questionnaire (FFMQ), the obsessional beliefs scale (OBS), and Beck depression scale (BDI-II).
The researcher used the following statistical methods to check the validity of the tools and process data:
internal consistency, construct validity, stepwise multiple linear regression and hierarchical regression
analysis. The findings of the study concluded that the mindfulness facets (observing, acting with
awareness and non-reactivity to inner experience) were best able to predict the symptoms of depression.
In addition, the obsessional beliefs (importance/control of thoughts and perfectionism/certainty) were
best able to predict the symptoms of depression. The results of the third hypothesis showed the
arrangement of the eight variables (non-reactivity, non-judging, observing, acting with awareness,
importance/control of thoughts beliefs, overestimation of threat/responsibility, describing and
certainty/perfectionism) according to the contribution of each variable to the prediction of depression
symptoms.