The moderating effect of dispositional mindfulness on the relationship between materialism and mental health

•Materialism was associated with worse mental health.•Mindfulness was associated with better mental health.•Mindfulness moderated the relationship between materialism and mental health.

In this study, we sought to determine whether dispositional mindfulness would moderate the relationship between materialism and mental health. In total, 533 college students completed the Material Values Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Symptom Checklist 90, and Social Desirability Scale. The results indicated that, mindfulness exerted a significant moderating effect. Greater materialism predicted worse mental health in individuals with low and medium mindfulness levels. However, the effect of materialism on mental health was nonsignificant in individuals with high mindfulness levels. Our findings have implications for interventions against the negative effect of materialism.