Discrimination hurts, but mindfulness may help: Trait mindfulness moderates the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms

•Does mindfulness mitigate the relationship between discrimination and depressive symptoms?•The researched employed a large community sample and assessed many sources of discrimination.•We found mindfulness dampens the relationship between discrimination and depressive symptoms.•Additionally, mindfulness provided benefits above and beyond those of positive emotions.

Discriminatory experiences are not only momentarily distressing, but can also increase risk for lasting physical and psychological problems. Specifically, significantly higher rates of depression and depressive symptoms are reported among people who are frequently the target of prejudice (Kessler et al., 1999 and Schulz et al., 2006). Given the gravity of this problem, this research focuses on an individual difference, trait mindfulness, as a protective factor in the association between discrimination and depressive symptoms. In a community sample of 605 individuals, trait mindfulness dampens the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms. Additionally, mindfulness provides benefits above and beyond those of positive emotions. Trait mindfulness may thus operate as a protective individual difference for targets of discrimination.