Linking Mindfulness to Psychological, Parenting, and Family Well-being: an Actor-Partner Interdependence Approach

Objectives Individuals' mindfulness has been linked to their own adjustment, but little is known about whether the mindfulness of their family members may affect individuals' adjustment, especially in Asian communities. This study used actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) to examine whether individuals' and their spouses' mindfulness were uniquely associated with individuals' psychological, parenting, and family well-being and whether such associations were moderated by individuals' gender. Methods Cross-sectional, dyadic data were collected from 333 married couples with kindergarten-aged children from Hong Kong, China. Using self-report questionnaires, husbands and wives independently rated their own mindfulness, life satisfaction, parenting warmth and hostility, and positive and negative family expressivity. Results APIMs revealed that men and women who were more mindful reported higher levels of life satisfaction, parenting warmth, and positive family expressivity and lower levels of parenting hostility and negative family expressivity. Men and women whose spouses were more mindful reported higher levels of parenting warmth and positive family expressivity and lower levels of parenting hostility. Men whose wives were more mindful reported higher levels of life satisfaction and lower levels of negative family expressivity. Conclusions Findings demonstrated both actor and partner effects of mindfulness on psychological, parenting, and family well-being, highlighting the potential positive impact of mindfulness on not only individuals but also their family members.