Effects of Mindfulness Training on School Teachers’ Self-Reported Personality Traits As Well As Stress and Burnout Levels

Among a sample of only female school teachers, we compared a mindfulness meditation (MM) training group ( n = 19) with a waiting-list control group ( n = 20) on several participant-completed questionnaires: the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Big Five Personality Inventory, the Teacher Stress Inventory, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. With these measures, we assessed the participants’ dispositional mindfulness, personality styles, and their stress and burnout. Following mindfulness training, teachers in the MM group showed higher trait mindfulness and conscientiousness and lower neuroticism and stress and burnout levels than teachers in the waiting-list control group. These results support the beneficial role of MM in individuals’ effective management of stressful conditions in the workplace.

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The Impact of Mindfulness Training on the Attention to Facial Expressions

10.21203/rs.3.rs-753946/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Taiyong Bi ◽

Hui Kou ◽

Xue Li ◽

Yuxia He ◽

Siqi Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire ◽

Dispositional Mindfulness ◽

Emotional Attention ◽

High Level ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Abstract The improvements of attention by mindfulness training had been proved. But the effects of mindfulness training on attention to emotional stimuli were mixed. We employed a randomized, controlled design to investigate the effects of mindfulness training on the attention to emotional expressions, and investigated whether baseline levels of dispositional mindfulness and emotional intelligence would moderate the intervention effects. Forty participants received 8-week mindfulness training and another forty participants attended two lectures about mindfulness. All participants completed the visual search task, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the Emotional Intelligence Scale at both pre-training and post-training. The improvements of search efficiencies were larger in the mindfulness group than those in the control group for sad and angry faces, but not for happy faces (F(2, 156)=4.04, p=0.019, η2=0.05). In addition, baseline emotional intelligence (βsadness=-4.49, t=-2.08, p=0.041, 95%CI [-8.78, -0.19]; βanger=-7.39, t=-4.08, p<0.001, 95%CI [-10.99, -3.78]) but not dispositional mindfulness (βsadness=3.17, t=1.56, p=0.124, 95%CI [-0.89, 7.22]; βanger=-1.89, t=-1.02, p=0.313, 95%CI [-5.61, 1.82]) played a significantly moderating role in the relationship between mindfulness training and emotional attention to sadness and anger. The search efficiencies of negative emotions (i.e., anger and sadness) but not positive emotions (i.e., happiness) were significantly improved by mindfulness training. Individuals with high level of baseline emotional intelligence showed significant improvement on the search efficiencies relative to those with low level of emotional intelligence.

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Effects of mindfulness training on regulatory and academic abilities in preadolescents: Results from a pilot study

Open Psychology ◽

10.1515/psych-2018-0006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 69-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lena Wimmer ◽

Lisa von Stockhausen ◽

Silja Bellingrath

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Passive Control ◽

Training Group ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Self Report ◽

Control Group ◽

Coping With Stress ◽

Stress Regulation ◽

Diurnal Cortisol

AbstractRegulatory abilities such as self-regulation and stress regulation are key predictors of essential developmental outcomes, including intellectual and socioemotional milestones as well as academic achievement. Preadolescence has been proposed as a period that is crucial for training these abilities. The present pilot study investigated the effects of mindfulness training on preadolescents‘ regulatory abilities and school-related outcomes. A group of 34 fifth graders received either mindfulness training (experimental group), Marburg Concentration Training (alternative treatment group), or no treatment (passive control group) and were monitored over a four-month intervention period. Regulatory abilities were assessed first, with two self-report questionnaires that operationalized impulsivity and coping with stress, respectively. Second, physical stress regulation was examined on the basis of diurnal cortisol as well as salivary α-amylase (sAA) profiles. Finally, school-related outcomes were measured with a paperpencil based performance test of verbal memory. Results show that impulsivity increased in all groups over time, whereas there were no significant training effects on self-reported coping with stress. Both training groups showed more adaptive physiological stress regulation in terms of steeper diurnal cortisol slopes and marginally less pronounced sAA awakening responses, however, with respect to physiological measures, no data of the passive control group are available. With respect to school-related outcomes, the results indicate a slight superiority regarding verbal memory for the mindfulness training group compared to the Marburg Concentration Training group.

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Vibrator-Assisted Start–Stop Exercises Improve Premature Ejaculation Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Archives of Sexual Behavior ◽

10.1007/s10508-019-01520-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 49 (5) ◽

pp. 1559-1573 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daniel Ventus ◽

Annika Gunst ◽

Stefan Arver ◽

Cecilia Dhejne ◽

Katarina G. Öberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Negative Symptoms ◽

Premature Ejaculation ◽

Mindfulness Meditation ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Waiting List ◽

Control Group ◽

Adequate Treatment ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Sexual Distress ◽

Before And After

AbstractPremature ejaculation (PE) is associated with decreased quality of life, lower confidence and self-esteem, and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and interpersonal difficulties. Here we investigated the effectiveness of vibrator-assisted start–stop exercises for treatment of PE, and whether the treatment effect could be enhanced by an additional psychobehavioral intervention. Fifty participants with a mean age of 41.7 years were included and randomized into two treatment groups and a waiting list control group. Participants were instructed to perform start–stop exercises while stimulating the penis with a purpose-made vibrator, 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Additionally, participants in one of the treatment groups received additional psychoeducation and performed mindfulness meditation-based body scan exercises three times a week. Data were gathered through online questionnaires before and after treatment, as well as 3 and 6 months after treatment. The interventions reduced PE symptoms with large effect sizes (partial η2 = .20 across the three groups, d [95% CI] = 1.05 [.27, 1.82] and 1.07 [.32, 1.82] for treatment groups compared to waiting list control group). The additional psychobehavioral intervention did not further reduce PE symptoms, but did decrease PE-associated negative symptoms such as levels of sexual distress, anxiety, and depression. No side effects were reported. Vibrator-assisted start–stop exercises can be offered as an adequate treatment option for PE.

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Who Can Get More Benefits? Effects of Mindfulness Training in Long-Term and Short-Term Male Prisoners

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology ◽

10.1177/0306624x19846771 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (13) ◽

pp. 2318-2337 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yuanyuan An ◽

Qi Huang ◽

Yucheng Zhou ◽

Yuyang Zhou ◽

Wei Xu

Keyword(s):

Perceived Stress ◽

Training Group ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Mood Disturbance ◽

Control Group ◽

Short Term ◽

Total Mood Disturbance ◽

Waitlist Control Group ◽

Male Prisoners

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a 6-week mindfulness training program on mental health, anxiety, depression, aggression, sleep quality, mood states, total mood disturbance, and perceived stress among male Chinese prisoners, and to explore whether the intervention effects differed in long-term and short-term prisoners. Eighty-three male prisoners completed the study, including 39 in the mindfulness training group and 44 in the waitlist control group. Results showed that, compared with the waitlist control group, mindfulness training group showed a significant improvement in mindfulness level ( p < .0l), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90; p < .00l), aggression ( p < .05), sleep quality ( p < .05), and total mood disturbance ( p < .0l). Moreover, compared with the short-term prisoners, mindfulness training was more effective on the long-term prisoners in mindfulness level ( p < .05), SCL-90 ( p < .001), anxiety ( p < .05), depression ( p < .05), aggression ( p < .05), total mood disturbance ( p < .0l), and perceived stress ( p < .0l). Given the study’s innovation, we discussed its significance and limitations.

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Mindfulness Training Improves Cognition and Strengthens Intrinsic Connectivity Between the Hippocampus and Posteromedial Cortex in Healthy Older Adults

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnagi.2021.702796 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Gunes Sevinc ◽

Johann Rusche ◽

Bonnie Wong ◽

Tanya Datta ◽

Robert Kaufman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Default Mode Network ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Training Group ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Default Mode ◽

Intrinsic Connectivity

Maintaining optimal cognitive functioning throughout the lifespan is a public health priority. Evaluation of cognitive outcomes following interventions to promote and preserve brain structure and function in older adults, and associated neural mechanisms, are therefore of critical importance. In this randomized controlled trial, we examined the behavioral and neural outcomes following mindfulness training (n = 72), compared to a cognitive fitness program (n = 74) in healthy, cognitively normal, older adults (65–80 years old). To assess cognitive functioning, we used the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC), which combines measures of episodic memory, executive function, and global cognition. We hypothesized that mindfulness training would enhance cognition, increase intrinsic functional connectivity measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between the hippocampus and posteromedial cortex, as well as promote increased gray matter volume within those regions. Following the 8-week intervention, the mindfulness training group showed improved performance on the PACC, while the control group did not. Furthermore, following mindfulness training, greater improvement on the PACC was associated with a larger increase in intrinsic connectivity within the default mode network, particularly between the right hippocampus and posteromedial cortex and between the left hippocampus and lateral parietal cortex. The cognitive fitness training group did not show such effects. These findings demonstrate that mindfulness training improves cognitive performance in cognitively intact older individuals and strengthens connectivity within the default mode network, which is particularly vulnerable to aging affects.Clinical Trial Registration: [https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02628548], identifier [NCT02628548].

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A Six-Session Mindfulness-Based Training to Support Weight Management After Bariatric Surgery in Clients of Hispanic Origin

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab055_041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 1231-1231

Author(s):

Motta Preciosa Martinez ◽

Valerie George ◽

Adriana Campa ◽

Agustin Castellanos

Keyword(s):

Bariatric Surgery ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Mindfulness Meditation ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Intuitive Eating ◽

Dispositional Mindfulness ◽

Hispanic Origin ◽

Bariatric Patients ◽

Post Bariatric Surgery ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objectives Objective: To understand more about the impact of mindfulness training on perceived stress levels, dispositional mindfulness, intuitive eating, and psychological flexibility.in bariatric patients of Hispanic origin, 12–36 months post-bariatric surgery. Background: Mindfulness meditation has been proposed as an approach to reduce stress and increase awareness of physical sensations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a six-session mindfulness-based training on dispositional mindfulness, perceived stress levels, intuitive eating, and psychological flexibility in bariatric patients of Hispanic origin 12–36 months post surgery. Methods The mindfulness group training was based on The Mindfulness Meditation/Acceptance Commitment Approach (MMACT) and focused on the following topics: mind body connection, stress management, intuitive eating, self-compassion, and acceptance & commitment. Participants were recruited from flyers posted in a private dietitian's practice and snowball sampling. Results For the first group, sixty potential participants were screened and seven (12%, 3 males and 4 females, mean age 50.6 ± 6, mean BMI 34.7 ± 6) agreed to participate. The mean scores at baseline, six, and ten weeks were: Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (80.1 ± 8, 84 ± 11, 83 ± 14), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (18 ± 8, 17 ± 10, 17 ± 11), Perceived Stress Questionnaire (0.4 ± 0.2, 0.4 ± 0.2, 0.3 ± 0.2), and Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (2.7 ± 0.3, 2.9 ± 0.4, 3.1 ± 0.5), this last one with significant difference (P < 0.01) between baseline and week ten. Conclusions This research provides preliminary data on how mindfulness training may affect factors that influence weight stability post bariatric surgery in clients of Hispanic origin. Funding Sources None.

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Effects of Mindfulness Training on Psychological Capital, Depression, and Procrastination of the Youth Demographic

Iranian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.18502/ijph.v49i9.4086 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Li LI ◽

Mu LI

Keyword(s):

Psychological Capital ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire ◽

Positive Psychological Capital ◽

Before And After ◽

Research Objects ◽

High Level ◽

Experimental Group

Background: The incidence rate of depression in youth demographic increases year by year. High-level psychological capital is conducive to relieving depression, and mindfulness training is an effective psychotherapy. We aimed to investigate the influences of mindfulness training on psychological capital, depression, and procrastination, thereby providing a direction for psychotherapy in the youth demographic. Method: A questionnaire survey on the youths in four resident communities in the cities of Wuhan and Tai’an in China was carried out in 2020 by sending a self-rating depression scale (SDS). A total of 240 youth with SDS standard scores >53 were filtered out, as the research objects to be assessed by using SDS, positive psychological capital questionnaire (PPQ), five-facet mindfulness questionnaire (FFMQ), and pure procrastination scale (PPS). Results: Two groups showed no statistically significant differences in SDS, PPQ, FFMQ, and PPS scores before intervention. Self-efficacy, toughness, hope, optimism, and PPQ scores of the experimental group were improved significantly after intervention compared with those before the intervention, and they were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). SDS, PPQ, FFMQ, and PPS scores showed statistically significant differences before and after intervention. SDS and PPS scores of the experimental group after intervention were far lower than those of the control group, while FFMQ score was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Mindfulness training can improve psychological capital of the youth demographic effectively and relieve their depression, thereby improving their procrastination.

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Mindfulness-based Online Training Increases Well-being and Decreases Stress After Covid-19 Lockdown (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29949 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Bossi ◽

Francesca Zaninotto ◽

Sonia D’Arcangelo ◽

Nicola Lattanzi ◽

Andrea Patricelli Malizia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Training Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Mindfulness Practice ◽

Control Group ◽

Present Moment ◽

Expressive Suppression

BACKGROUND Mindfulness practice consists of “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment”. Mindfulness training was shown to be effective in improving well-being and reducing perceived stress in several conditions. These effects were also found in online mindfulness-based training, especially on employees in organizational environments. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of online mindfulness training on healthy employees especially after the first Italian Covid-19 lockdown, when the measures to prevent contagion were loosened, but the second wave was starting again to emerge. METHODS Participants in the training group underwent an 8-week mindfulness training based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) protocol compared to a control (no-intervention) group. A new practice was presented each week by two trainers, who were also available for Q&A on a weekly basis. All participants filled in weekly surveys for the whole training duration via online questionnaires to measure their habits, mindfulness (FFMQ-15), emotion regulation (ERQ), positive and negative affect (PANAS), depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21), resilience (RSA) and insomnia (ISI). 46 participants in the training group and 54 in the control group completed at least half of the weekly questionnaires and were considered in the longitudinal analyses. RESULTS We found significant differences between the training and control groups over time in the measures of mindfulness (in particular the nonreactivity subscale), positive affect, depression, and insomnia. Moreover, we found that the frequency of practice and ease perceived in practicing were positively correlated to several indices of well-being (mindfulness, positive affect, cognitive reappraisal) and negatively correlated to several indices of stress (negative affect, depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, expressive suppression). CONCLUSIONS These results show the importance and effectiveness of online mindfulness training to cope with stress among employees, especially after the Covid-19 lockdown, a period of great uncertainties and psychological tension.

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Effects of a Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Program on Intimate Relationships in a Youth Sample: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs11060084 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 84

Author(s):

María de Lourdes Rosales-Villacrés ◽

Cristián Oyanadel ◽

Diana Changotasig-Loja ◽

Wenceslao Peñate-Castro

Keyword(s):

Intimate Relationships ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Well Being ◽

Intimate Relationship ◽

Control Group ◽

Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire ◽

Dispositional Mindfulness ◽

Relationship Conflicts

Intimate relationship conflicts in young people are crucial experiences for change. They can lead to more or less satisfactory relationships, depending on individuals’ skills to cope with these conflicts. This may or may not lead to violence in couples. Acceptance and self-regulation processes are an effective strategy to address individual factors such as avoidance and anxiety in intimate relationships of people in these age groups, thus preventing violence. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of an eight-session mindfulness and acceptance-based program (MAP). Participants (n = 40), who were aged from 18 to 25 years old, were randomly assigned to a group receiving the MAP or an active control group. Outcome measures were anxiety about abandonment, intimacy avoidance (Experiences in Close Relationships scale), well-being (Psychological Well-being Scale), dispositional mindfulness (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) and flexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II). Measures were taken at pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up. Results showed that the MAP decreased anxiety (p = 0.025) and avoidance (p = 0.01) and increased mindfulness (p < 0.001) and flexibility (p = 0.001). In general, these improvements persisted at follow-up. Results are discussed in relation to the usefulness of mindfulness-acceptance strategies to cope with non-pathological intimate relationship conflicts.

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On Mindfulness Training for Promoting Mental Toughness of Female College Students in Endurance Exercise

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2021/5596111 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Yi Wang ◽

Jing Tian ◽

Qingxuan Yang

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Training Group ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

T Test ◽

Mental Toughness ◽

Female College Students ◽

Control Group ◽

Female College ◽

Paired T Test

Objective. The aim of this study was to examine the promoting effects of mindfulness training on female college students’ mental toughness in endurance exercise. Methods. A cluster sampling method was used to select 60 female college students as subjects. Based on the body mass index (BMI), stratified randomization was used to divide them into the mindfulness-training group and the control group. Participants in mindfulness-training group had an 8-week mindfulness training, while participants in control group waited. Before and after training, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were used for pretest and posttest, and paired t-test and covariance analysis were performed on pretest and posttest between-group data. Results. (1) Paired t-test results showed the posttest scores (26.67 ± 3.56; 20.97 ± 3.66; 126.53 ± 8.59) of the three dimensions of description, nonresponse and FFMQ total score of the mindfulness-training group were higher than the pretest scores (25.53 ± 3.74; 19.23 ± 3.59; 121.43 ± 6.78). Statistical significance was shown in their differences (t = −2.25; −2.70; −3.25, p < 0.05 ). However, there was no statistical significance in the pretest and posttest of control group. The covariance analyses showed the posttest scores of the mindfulness-training group in three dimensions of description, nonresponse, and FFMQ were higher than the posttest scores of the control group. Statistical significance was shown in their differences (F = 6.55; 6.08; 5.91; p < 0.05 ). (2) Paired t-test showed posttest scores (46.50 ± 5.93; 30.40 ± 3.75; 15.00 ± 2.34) were significantly higher than pretest scores (42.60 ± 7.68; 26.50 ± 4.32; 12.87 ± 2.51) in all dimensions of the mental toughness of the mindfulness-training group. Statistical significance was shown in their differences (t = −3.135, −4.765, −4.922, p < 0.01 ). However, there was no significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores in all dimensions of the mental toughness of the control group. The covariance analysis showed that the posttest scores of all dimensions of the mental toughness of the mindfulness-training group were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (F = 11.133, 12.101, 16.053, all p < 0.001 ). (3) Paired t-test showed that the posttest score of the mindfulness-training group on exercise intensity perception immediately after 800-meter endurance run (5.67 ± 2.61) was lower than the pretest score (7.03 ± 1.24) and the difference was statistically significant (t = 4.18, p < 0.001 ), while the difference was not statistically significant in the control group. The covariance analysis showed that the posttest score of the mindfulness-training group on exercise intensity perception was lower than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (F = 15.81, p < 0.001 ). Conclusion. Mindfulness training improved the level of female college students’ mindfulness and mental toughness in their endurance sports, while reducing the fatigue feeling of female college students in endurance sports.

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