Mindfulness and the psychological well-being of mountain tourists: Sequential mediating effects of spirituality and awe

Few studies have investigated the mechanism underlying the relationship between mindfulness and the psychological well-being (PWB) of mountain tourists. In this study, we examined the relationships among mindfulness, spirituality, awe, and PWB. We also explored the roles of spirituality and awe in mediating the relationship between mindfulness and PWB. Specifically, we surveyed 412 mountain tourists and analyzed their responses using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that the direct effect of mindfulness on PWB was not significant. Spirituality and awe were the underlying mechanisms that fully mediated the relationship between mindfulness and PWB. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that mindfulness contributed to PWB through the indirect and sequential mediating effects of spirituality and awe. This study contributes to the literature by identifying two mediating variables (i.e., spirituality and awe) and clarifying how mindfulness influences PWB in mountain tourism. The implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are also addressed.