Abstract

The importance of positive traits, such as mindfulness and psychological flexibility, in fostering psychological well-being has gained interest especially in early adulthood, a period of time when the individuals face tremendous developmental and societal restrictions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictive role of dispositional mindfulness and psychological flexibility on psychological well-being in early adulthood (18-25 years). The study was conducted on a sample of 300 subjects (150 males and 150 females) participating in undergraduate and post-graduate studies. Psychological Well-Being Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) were updated in Hindi. The predictive contribution of the two variables was determined via stepwise multiple regression analysis. Psychological inflexibility was a strong negative predictor of psychological well-being (β = -.341, p < .001). Dispositional mindfulness was a significant positive predictor (β = .193, p <.001) Together, the variables explained 19.9% of the variance in psychological well-being (adjusted R2 = .194), with psychological inflexibility being the better predictor. The findings indicate that higher levels of mindfulness and psychological flexibility in early adulthood are associated with better levels of psychological well-being, whereas higher levels of rigidity in thought and emotional processing are associated with higher levels of psychological distress.