Rational thinking as a mediator of the relationship between mindfulness and dental anxiety

Abstract

Dental anxiety causes people to postpone or refuse to go to the dentist, which further negatively impacts their quality of life and public health. Previous research has shown that mindfulness is inversely related to anxiety. However, little is known about the relationship between mindfulness and dental anxiety. The current research aimed to explore the relationship between mindfulness and dental anxiety and investigate the mediating role of rational thinking. Two studies were conducted. In study one, 206 Chinese participants completed questionnaires measuring trait mindfulness and dental anxiety (state, responding to a dental treatment scenario). In study two, 394 participants completed questionnaires measuring trait mindfulness, dental anxiety (trait), and rational thinking. The results for both studies showed that mindfulness is negatively correlated with dental anxiety. In study 1, each facet of mindfulness except Non-judging was negatively correlated with dental anxiety with Acting with Awareness having the strongest correlation, while in study 2, only Acting with Awareness was significantly negatively correlated with dental anxiety. Furthermore, rational thinking mediated the effect of mindfulness on dental anxiety. In conclusion, mindfulness is negatively related to both state and trait dental anxiety, and rational thinking mediates the relationship between mindfulness and dental anxiety. Implications of these findings are discussed.