Front Psychol
July 3, 2019
Tingfei Zhu, Jiang Xue, Astrid Montuclard et al.
20 citations
A pilot study of 30 Chinese adults without clinical conditions found that a 6-week mindfulness-based training program was associated with increases in self-reported positive emotion and improvements in some measures of cognitive ability, including sustained attention and working memory. The authors suggest mindfulness training may benefit non-clinical populations, but note the small sample and lack of a control group limit the strength of the conclusions.
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
July 3, 2025
Yanping Wei, Yifei Xu, Wanlin Chen et al.
4 citations
Heart rate variability (HRV) can reveal the effects of mindfulness, but the pattern of change differs between novice and experienced practitioners. In a 14-day mindfulness training study with 46 participants (20 experienced, 26 novices), both groups showed significant changes in HRV indices (RMSSD, SDNN, LnHF) from baseline to mindfulness practice or afterward. Experienced practitioners exhibited significant fluctuations during mindfulness (in SD1/SD2, Sample Entropy, normalized High Frequency, DFA_α1, and DFA_α2) that recovered afterward, while novices showed only monotonic changes in SD1/SD2 and DFA_α1. These distinct patterns suggest that practice experience influences the physiological response to mindfulness.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
February 13, 2025
Tingfei Zhu, Liuyi Zhang, Wenqi Weng et al.
4 citations
A 14-day internet-based, self-guided short-term mindfulness training program based on the Monitor and Acceptance Theory reduced depressive symptoms and improved mindfulness in Chinese adults. In a randomized trial with 205 participants, those in the training group showed significant improvements compared with a wait-list control group, with moderate effect sizes (Cohen d around 0.5 for depressive symptoms and mindfulness). Dropout rates were relatively low (under 40%), and participants reported high acceptance of the format. The program, delivered via the "Hi Emotion" platform, offers a scalable approach to help address the gap between limited mental health resources and high demand in China.
Neuroscience
July 6, 2026
Tingting Yan, Yanping Wei, Fengji Geng et al.
Meditation practice is linked to changes in brain electrical activity measured by EEG, but results across studies vary. This systematic review and meta-analysis found significant positive effects for alpha, beta, and gamma brain waves, but no significant effect for theta waves. The measurement state—whether brain activity was recorded during meditation versus rest—was a potential moderator, but this finding was not robust. Meditation type, practitioner expertise, and EEG frequency band did not significantly explain differences. Exploratory analysis suggested a modest link between longer practice duration and larger theta-wave effects, but this is uncertain due to uneven data and mostly cross-sectional studies. The findings highlight the need for standardized longitudinal research.
Human Resources for Health
November 24, 2024
Ruochen Gan, Shulin Chen, Jiang Xue
A mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program reduced burnout among healthcare providers in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a randomized trial with 112 participants, those in the MBSR group showed significant increases in personal accomplishment and decreases in emotional exhaustion compared to the control group. No significant difference was found for depersonalization. The effects on personal accomplishment were partially mediated by increased cognitive reappraisal and positive affect. The program was feasible and may help reduce healthcare provider burnout, even during a pandemic.
Applied psychology. Health and well-being
August 1, 2022
Ruochen Gan, Liuyi Zhang, Shulin Chen
A meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials found that body scan meditation alone, a single component of standardized mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), has only a small effect on mindfulness compared to passive control conditions (Hedge's g = 0.268). The intervention did not effectively improve health-related outcomes. Attrition rates for long-term interventions were low, but the overall quality of the included studies was low and there was high heterogeneity across studies. These results suggest that a sole body scan meditation is not sufficient to produce meaningful health benefits.