Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Salivary Cortisol and α-amylase Level, Anxiety and Depression in Students: A Randomized and Parallel-Group Clinical Trial.
Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback – July 22, 2025
Source: PubMed
Summary
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) significantly improved mental health indicators among students, reducing anxiety and depression levels. In a trial involving 30 participants divided equally into experimental and control groups, MBSR training led to notable enhancements in general health and hormonal markers, specifically salivary α-amylase levels. The experimental group experienced better outcomes compared to the control group, demonstrating the effectiveness of MBSR in promoting psychological well-being and balancing stress-related hormones, such as cortisol, highlighting its potential as a valuable mental health intervention.
Abstract
The current trial aimed to assess the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training on salivary cortisol and α-amylase levels, anxiety and depression of students. This research was an experimental trial with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of the research included all students studying in the universities of Khoy, Iran in 2021. The sample consisted of 30 people who were assigned to two experimental and control groups equally. Stress, anxiety and depression scale (DASS-21), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and saliva samples were passively taken by ELISA laboratory method with special kits. Data analysis was done using an independent t-test and analysis of covariance using IBM-SPSS version 26 software. The results showed that MBSR training on general health, alpha-amylase level and alpha-amylase/cortisol ratio of experimental group participants was more effective than the control group (P 0.05). According to the findings, it can be argued that MBSR training has been able to promote the psychological (DASS and general health) and hormonal (alpha amylase level and alpha-amylase/cortisol ratio) mental health indicators of the experimental group participants compared to the control group.