Stress and Health
March 15, 2010
599 citations
A community sample participated in an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme. After the programme, participants showed significant reductions in stress symptoms and mood disturbance, along with increases in mindfulness, spirituality, and self-compassion. For empathy, perspective taking increased significantly and personal distress decreased significantly, but empathic concern did not change. Changes in self-compassion were linked to changes in mindfulness. Self-compassion and certain aspects of empathy were strongly associated with psychological well-being. The findings suggest MBSR can enhance self-compassion and specific empathy components.
Stress and Health
June 10, 2004
238 citations
An 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program was associated with lower stress levels and higher mindfulness self-efficacy and positive states of mind after the intervention compared to before. The findings suggest MBSR may help with stress management, awareness, attention training, and fostering positive mental states.
Stress and Health
August 23, 2005
216 citations
An 8-week mindfulness meditation program for health-care professionals did not significantly change salivary cortisol levels, a biomarker of stress. However, participants reported improvements in mood (average increase of 12.4 points on the Profile of Mood States) and reduced emotional exhaustion (average decrease of 4.54 points on the Maslach Burnout Inventory). Correlations between self-reported stress and cortisol were weak and not statistically significant. Changes in empathy were not detected, possibly due to the program's lack of effect, sample size, or measurement sensitivity. The psychometric results suggest that further clinical trials of mindfulness meditation for stress reduction in health-care professionals are warranted.
Stress and Health
November 28, 2006
178 citations
Nine cancer patients who completed an 8-week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program and continued attending weekly drop-in sessions described five themes from adding meditation to their lives: opening to change, self-control, shared experience, personal growth, and spirituality. These themes were used to develop theory about how MBSR creates change for cancer patients, which may help refine programs to better support patients during diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Stress and Health
March 15, 2019
G. Slemp, Hayley K. Jach, A. Chia et al.
45 citations
Contemplative interventions such as mindfulness and meditation reduce psychological distress in employees, producing small to moderate effects that persist at follow-up. A meta-analysis of 119 studies (6,044 participants) found that the type of intervention and control group influenced results. Publication bias likely inflates estimated effects, especially in uncontrolled single-sample studies; adjustments lowered overall effects. The authors conclude that while these interventions are effective, proactive strategies are needed to prevent overestimation of benefits and misapplication in workplaces.