Mindfulness Practice and Stress Following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Examining Within-Person and Between-Person Associations with Latent Curve Modeling

Mindfulness ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1905-1914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew S. McClintock ◽  
Roger Brown ◽  
Christopher L. Coe ◽  
Aleksandra Zgierska ◽  
Bruce Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Latent Curve ◽  
Curve Modeling ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

scholarly journals No Sustained Attention Differences in a Longitudinal Randomized Trial Comparing Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction versus Active Control

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donal G. MacCoon ◽  
Katherine A. MacLean ◽  
Richard J Davidson ◽  
Clifford Saron ◽  
Antoine Lutz
Keyword(s):  
Active Control ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Visual Discrimination ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽  
Over Time

Background: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a secular form of meditation training. The vast majority of the extant literature investigating the health effects of mindfulness interventions relies on wait-list control comparisons. Previous studies have found that meditation training over several months is associated with improvements in cognitive control and attention.Methodology/Principal Findings: We used a visual continuous performance task (CPT) to test the effects of eight weeks of mindfulness training on sustained attention by comparing MBSR to the Health Enhancement Program (HEP), a structurally equivalent, active control condition in a randomized, longitudinal design (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01301105) focusing on a non-clinical population typical of MBSR participants. Researchers were blind to group assignment. 63 community participants were randomized to either MBSR (n = 31) or HEP (n = 32). CPT analyses were conducted on 29 MBSR participants and 25 HEP participants. We predicted that MBSR would improve visual discrimination ability and sustained attention over time on the CPT compared to HEP, with more home practice associated with greater improvements. Our hypotheses were not confirmed but we did find some evidence for improved visual discrimination similar to effects in partial replication of other research. Our study had sufficient power to demonstrate that intervention groups do not differ in their improvement over time in sustained attention performance. One of our primary predictions concerning the effects of intervention on attentional fatigue was significant but not interpretable.Conclusions: Attentional sensitivity is not affected by mindfulness practice as taught in MBSR, but it is unclear whether mindfulness might positively affect another aspect of attention, vigilance. These results also highlight the relevant procedural modifications required by future research to correctly investigate the role of sustained attention in similar samples.

scholarly journals A Qualitative study of older adults’ perspectives on initiating exercise and mindfulness practice

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana C. Parra ◽  
Julie Loebach Wetherell ◽  
Alexandria Van Zandt ◽  
Ross Brownson ◽  
Janardan Abhishek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Health Lifestyle ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Abstract Background: Mindfulness practice and exercise are ways by which older adults can improve and maintain their physical, emotional and cognitive health. Methods: This single-site qualitative study gathered insights of older adults’ perceptions about initiating and maintaining mindfulness and exercise practices. We carried out focus groups with 41 adults aged 65-85 who had recently initiated Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), structured exercise, or their combination as part of participation in a clinical trial. We used a semi-structured interview to ask them open-ended questions regarding the benefits, barriers and facilitators of participating in mindfulness and/or exercise interventions. The interview also included questions regarding translation of these practices into community settings as well as the long-term maintenance potential of these practices. Results: Older adults indicated that the mindfulness training increased their awareness and self-reflection and fostered a more self-accepting attitude. Furthermore, they improved their self-care habits and reported having better familial and social relationships. The main barrier for both the exercise and Mindfulness group was time management. The social benefits and sense of community were some of the primary motivators for older adults in the exercise and/or MBSR interventions. However, the research on how to motivate older adults to initiate healthy behavioral changes also needs to be answered. The benefits of exercise and MBSR are a motivation in and of themselves, as indicated by some of the participants. Conclusions: This study indicates that mindfulness training and exercise can serve as tools to cultivate important health lifestyle qualities among older adults, who are in the midst of mental, social, emotional and physical change. If it were not for the purpose of the research or the incentives provided by the research team, these older adults may have never started the healthy behavioral changes. From the responses, this may indicate that older adults may need more incentives to begin and maintain behavioral changes other than for their own health benefit. Key Words: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, mindfulness, exercise, older adults, qualitative study

scholarly journals A Qualitative study of older adults’ perspectives on initiating exercise and mindfulness practice

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana C. Parra ◽  
Julie Loebach Wetherell ◽  
Alexandria Van Zandt ◽  
Ross Brownson ◽  
Janardan Abhishek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Health Lifestyle ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Abstract Background: Mindfulness practice and exercise are ways by which older adults can improve and maintain their physical, emotional and cognitive health. Methods: This single-site qualitative study gathered insights of older adults’ perceptions about initiating and maintaining mindfulness and exercise practices. We carried out focus groups with 41 adults aged 65-85 who had recently initiated Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), structured exercise, or their combination as part of participation in a clinical trial. We used a semi-structured interview to ask them open-ended questions regarding the benefits, barriers and facilitators of participating in mindfulness and/or exercise interventions. The interview also included questions regarding translation of these practices into community settings as well as the long-term maintenance potential of these practices. Results: Older adults indicated that the mindfulness training increased their awareness and self-reflection and fostered a more self-accepting attitude. Furthermore, they improved their self-care habits and reported having better familial and social relationships. The main barrier for both the exercise and Mindfulness group was time management. The social benefits and sense of community were some of the primary motivators for older adults in the exercise and/or MBSR interventions. However, the research on how to motivate older adults to initiate healthy behavioral changes also needs to be answered. The benefits of exercise and MBSR are a motivation in and of themselves, as indicated by some of the participants. Conclusions: This study indicates that mindfulness training and exercise can serve as tools to cultivate important health lifestyle qualities among older adults, who are in the midst of mental, social, emotional and physical change. If it were not for the purpose of the research or the incentives provided by the research team, these older adults may have never started the healthy behavioral changes. From the responses, this may indicate that older adults may need more incentives to begin and maintain behavioral changes other than for their own health benefit. Key Words: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, mindfulness, exercise, older adults, qualitative study

scholarly journals On the Buddhist roots of contemporary non-religious mindfulness practice: Moving beyond sectarian and essentialist approaches

2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville Husgafvel
Keyword(s):  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Healthcare Education ◽  
World Religions ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
Buddhist Doctrine ◽  
The World ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽  
Practice Methods

Mindfulness-based practice methods are entering the Western cultural mainstream as institutionalised approaches in healthcare, education, and other public spheres. The Buddhist roots of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and comparable mindfulness-based programmes are widely acknowledged, together with the view of their religious and ideological neutrality. However, the cultural and historical roots of these contemporary approaches have received relatively little attention in the study of religion, and the discussion has been centred on Theravāda Buddhist viewpoints or essentialist presentations of ‘classical Buddhism’. In the light of historical and textual analysis it seems unfounded to hold Theravāda tradition as the original context or as some authoritative expression of Buddhist mindfulness, and there are no grounds for holding it as the exclusive Buddhist source of the MBSR programme either. Rather, one-sided Theravāda-based presentations give a limited and oversimplified picture of Buddhist doctrine and practice, and also distort comparisons with contemporary non-religious forms of mindfulness practice. To move beyond the sectarian and essentialist approaches closely related to the ‘world religions paradigm’ in the study of religion, the discussion would benefit from a lineage-based approach, where possible historical continuities and phenomenological similarities between Buddhist mindfulness and contemporary non-religious approaches are examined at the level of particular relevant Buddhist teachers and their lineages of doctrine and practice.

scholarly journals Mind-Body Interventions to Reduce Risk for Health Disparities Related to Stress and Strength Among African American Women: The Potential of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Loving-Kindness, and the NTU Therapeutic Framework

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl L. Woods-Giscombé ◽  
Angela R. Black
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Emotional Suppression ◽  
American Women ◽  
Loving Kindness ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

In the current article, the authors examine the potential role of mind-body interventions for preventing or reducing health disparities in a specific group—African American women. The authors first discuss how health disparities affect this group, including empirical evidence regarding the influence of biopsychosocial processes (e.g., psychological stress and social context) on disparate health outcomes. They also detail how African American women’s unique stress experiences as a result of distinct sociohistorical and cultural experiences related to race and gender potentially widen exposure to stressors and influence stress responses and coping behaviors. Using two independent, but related, frameworks (Superwoman Schema [SWS] and the Strong Black Woman Script [SBW-S]), they discuss how, for African American women, stress is affected by ‘‘strength’’ (vis-à-vis resilience, fortitude, and self-sufficiency) and the emergent health-compromising behaviors related to strength (e.g., emotional suppression, extraordinary caregiving, and self-care postponement). The authors then describe the potential utility of three mind-body interventions—mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), loving-kindness meditation (LKM), and NTU psychotherapy—for specifically targeting the stress-, strength-, and contextually related factors that are thought to influence disparate outcomes for African American women. Self-awareness, self-care, inter- and intrapersonal restorative healing and a redefinition of inner strength may manifest through developing a mindfulness practice to decrease stress-related responses; using LKM to cultivate compassion and forgiveness for self and others; and the balance of independence and interdependence as a grounding NTU principle for redefining strength. The authors conclude with a discussion of potential benefits for integrating key aspects of the interventions with recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals Does practice quality mediate the relationship between practice time and outcome in mindfulness-based stress reduction?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Goldberg ◽  
Cara Knoeppel ◽  
Lisa Flook ◽  
Richard J Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽  
Practice Time

Interventions based on mindfulness meditation are increasingly common and evidence exists supporting their use. However, questions remain regarding treatment mechanisms accounting for beneficial effects. The current study examined one candidate mechanism – mindfulness practice quality – as a mediator of the link between practice time and outcome within mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Participants (n=96) completed measures of mindfulness and psychological symptoms at baseline and post-treatment. A weekly questionnaire assessed practice time and quality over the eight weeks of MBSR. Multilevel models accounted for nesting within participants, MBSR groups, and instructors. Results generally supported the reliability and validity of a weekly single-item practice quality measure. Greater practice time was associated with improved practice quality (r=.48). Increases in practice quality predicted improvements in self-report mindfulness and psychological symptoms (bs=.35, .30, and -.19, ps<.05,), but not behavioral mindfulness (b=-.02, p=.879). In multilevel mediation models, improved practice quality mediated the link between practice time and changes in self-report mindfulness, suggesting improved practice quality functions as a mechanism linking practice time and outcome in MBSR. Future research evaluating practice quality in clinical samples, in tandem with intensive sampling paradigms (e.g., experience sampling) and objective (behavioral, physiological) outcomes may be warranted.

scholarly journals Changes in Perceived Stress following a 10-week Digital Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Program: A Retrospective Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aarathi Venkatesan ◽  
Holly Krymis ◽  
Jenny Scharff ◽  
Art Waber
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Level ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Reliable Change Index ◽  
Health Coach ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Reduction Program ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

BACKGROUND As the need for effective, scalable interventions for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress has grown, the digital delivery of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has gained research interest as a promising intervention in this domain. OBJECTIVE In the present study, we evaluate changes in perceived stress following a 10-week digital mindfulness-based stress reduction program that combined an app-based digital program with weekly one-on-one remote sessions with a health coach. METHODS The study utilized a retrospective, observational design. 229 participants with moderate to high perceived stress score as assessed by the PSS-10 enrolled in the 10-week Vida Health mindfulness-based stress reduction program. The program included weekly remote sessions with a certified health coach and digital content based on core concepts fundamental to mindfulness practice. The clinically validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used to evaluate perceived stress. Of the 229 participants, 131 (57.2%) were considered program completers and provided at least one follow-up PSS-10. A secondary analysis examined changes in stress scores at 6 months. This analysis was restricted to participants who had been enrolled in the program for at least 6 months (N = 121). To account for random and fixed effects, linear mixed effects modeling (MLM) was employed to assess changes in stress scores over time. Additionally, the reliable change index was computed to evaluate changes in stress scores from baseline. RESULTS The results revealed a significant positive association of program time on stress reduction (B = -0.365, P = .000) at 12 weeks. We observed an average reduction in stress scores of 3.17 points (95% CI -3.93 to -2.44) by program week 6 and 4.86 points (95% CI -5.86 to -3.85) by program week 12. Overall, 83.2% (109/131) of participants showed a reduction in perceived stress scores by week 12 with 40.46% (53/131) of participants showing reliable improvement in 12 weeks and 47.75% (56/131) participants showing a shift to a lower stress level category (i.e., moderate to low stress). Participants who completed more lessons had an increased likelihood of moving down at least one stress-level category (OR = 1.512, 95% CI 1.056 to 2.166, P = .024). In assessing medium-term stress outcomes, among participants who had completed at least 6 months since starting the program, 59 (48.76%) members provided a 6-month assessment. We observed a significant reduction in stress scores at 6 months, t(58) = 10.24, P =.000, with 61.01% of participants (36/59) showing a reliable improvement. CONCLUSIONS The findings in this retrospective, observational study suggest that a blended digital mindfulness-based intervention may support program uptake and meaningful, sustained reduction in stress outcomes.

scholarly journals Feasibility and Acceptability of an Abbreviated, Four-Week Mindfulness Program for Chronic Pain Management

Pain Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 2799-2810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie E Brintz ◽  
Isabel Roth ◽  
Keturah Faurot ◽  
Sanjana Rao ◽  
Susan A Gaylord
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Dispositional Mindfulness ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Abstract Objective The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program is effective at improving chronic pain outcomes, but the time demand hinders participation. This preliminary study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effects of providing an abbreviated mindfulness program for patients with chronic pain. Design A single-arm, mixed-methods, pre–post intervention study. Setting An outpatient rehabilitation clinic at an academic medical center. Subjects Participants were N = 23 adults with chronic pain who were new to mindfulness practice. Methods Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction was adapted to shorten the program to four weekly 90-minute sessions and to focus content on pain management. Three cohorts of six to nine participants completed baseline and post-treatment measures of 1) patient-reported outcomes, including pain intensity, pain interference, physical functioning, depressive/anxiety symptoms, positive affect and well-being, and sleep disturbance; 2) pain medication dosages; 3) psychosocial variables including pain acceptance, pain catastrophizing, and perceived stress; 4) dispositional mindfulness, as well as postintervention structured interviews about their experiences. Results Acceptable rates of retention and attendance and high ratings of satisfaction indicated that the intervention was feasible and acceptable. In interviews, participants found the program acceptable and beneficial and provided suggestions to improve it. From pre- to post-treatment, significant improvements were reported in all measures except physical functioning and anxiety. Conclusions In adults with chronic pain, a four-week mindfulness program is feasible and acceptable, addresses the barrier of a lengthy program, and may improve quality of life and psychological functioning. An appropriately powered randomized controlled trial with a comparison group is needed to assess the intervention’s effectiveness.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 227-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Goldsmith ◽  
James I. Gerhart ◽  
Samantha A. Chesney ◽  
John W. Burns ◽  
Brighid Kleinman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽  
Trauma Appraisals

Mindfulness-based psychotherapies are associated with reductions in depression and anxiety. However, few studies address whether mindfulness-based approaches may benefit individuals with posttraumatic stress symptoms. The current pilot study explored whether group mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy reduced posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and negative trauma-related appraisals in 9 adult participants who reported trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress or depression. Participants completed 8 sessions of mindfulness-based stress reduction treatment, as well as pretreatment, midtreatment, and posttreatment assessments of psychological symptoms, acceptance of emotional experiences, and trauma appraisals. Posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and shame-based trauma appraisals were reduced over the 8-week period, whereas acceptance of emotional experiences increased. Participants’ self-reported amount of weekly mindfulness practice was related to increased acceptance of emotional experiences from pretreatment to posttreatment. Results support the utility of mindfulness-based therapies for posttraumatic stress symptoms and reinforce studies that highlight reducing shame and increasing acceptance as important elements of recovery from trauma.

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