Medical students who chose a 10-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) seminar reported lower total mood disturbance after the program compared to students who attended a didactic seminar on complementary medicine. The MBSR group started with higher mood disturbance (38.7 vs. 28.0) but ended with lower scores (31.8 vs. 38.6). Improvements were also seen in tension-anxiety, confusion-bewilderment, fatigue-inertia, and vigor-activity. MBSR may be an effective way to help medical students manage stress.
After an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, 11 elderly adults (mean age 79) showed altered cerebral blood flow and functional connectivity in brain regions including the cingulate gyrus, limbic structures, and parts of the temporal and frontal lobes. These changes resembled those seen in younger meditators and were accompanied by significant improvements in depression symptoms. The findings suggest that MBSR may modify brain function in older adults.
A pilot study tested a telephone-based adaptation of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for healthcare employees. Ten participants completed at least half of eight sessions, with 70% completing at least six. Participants reported reductions in distress (mean change −5.0 to −9.4, medium to large effects) and increases in mindfulness (mean change 1.0 to 10.4, small to medium effects). Self-compassion mostly remained stable except for common humanity, which increased (mean change 2.9, large effect). Feedback was positive and included suggestions for delivery. The findings suggest telephone-based MBSR may be useful, but larger studies are needed.