The relationship between present-moment observation and substance use depends on a person's tendency to be nonreactive. Among 296 undergraduates, higher observation scores were linked to less substance use when nonreactivity was high, but to more substance use when nonreactivity was low. This suggests that merely noticing experiences without also being nonreactive may increase substance use, while combining observation with nonreactivity may be protective.
A 4-week mindfulness-based intervention reduced salivary inflammatory markers IL-6 and TNF-α in college women with elevated depressive symptoms, compared with a contact-control group. Both groups showed similar reductions in self-reported depression. Reductions in IL-6 were sustained at a 3-month follow-up in the mindfulness group. Higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted greater reductions in inflammation among those who received mindfulness training. The findings suggest that mindfulness training may lower inflammatory immune markers commonly linked to depression, possibly protecting against future depressive episodes, though the reductions in inflammation were not explained by changes in depressive symptoms.