BMC Public Health
December 1, 2015
Christian Jensen, Jon Lansner, Anders Petersen et al.
53 citations
A nine-week meditation-based program called 'Open and Calm' (OC), which trains relaxed, receptive attention and non-intervening witnessing, reduced perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbances while improving quality of life and mental health compared to treatment as usual. Improvements were sustained three months later and were unrelated to age, gender, education, or whether the program was done individually or in a group. The dropout rate was only 6%. The program shows promise for public mental health promotion and reducing stress-related illness.
BMC Public Health
January 23, 2024
Nima Javadzade, Sayed Vahid Esmaeili, Victoria Omranifard et al.
37 citations
A mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program significantly reduced depression symptoms and improved emotion regulation and sleep quality in depressed elderly individuals. In a clinical trial with 60 participants, those who completed eight weekly 90-minute MBSR sessions showed greater reductions in depression and better emotion regulation and sleep compared to a control group. The findings suggest that MBSR can be an effective intervention for improving both mental and physical well-being in this population.
BMC Public Health
November 15, 2008
P Schaalma Herman, Kok Gerjo, Peters Gjalt-Jorn
22 citations
Most Dutch ecstasy users start out of curiosity and later stop automatically due to loss of interest or life changes like a new job or relationship, not because of health concerns. Users apply various harm reduction strategies, but inconsistently and sometimes incorrectly. The findings suggest that health promotion efforts should focus on improving consistent and correct harm reduction practices rather than trying to induce cessation.
BMC Public Health
February 19, 2025
Zhenwei Dai, Shu Jing, Yijin Wu et al.
10 citations
A six-week online mindfulness course for undergraduate nursing students in Beijing temporarily reduced stress and anxiety and improved mindfulness and perceived social support, but these mental health benefits did not persist at a three-month follow-up. Perceived social support mediated the relationship between mindfulness and mental symptoms. The findings suggest that sustained benefits may require regular practice, highlighting the need for ongoing mindfulness integration into training programs.
BMC Public Health
May 8, 2025
Christian E Preissner, Lieke Vilier, Nora C Bertelsmann et al.
3 citations
A review of 44 studies found that mindfulness-based strategies used outside of standardized clinical protocols to promote healthy eating and physical activity in healthy adults show no clear evidence of effectiveness at the group level. The interventions varied widely, mixing formal and informal mindfulness practices with different meditation exercises. Study quality was mostly weak due to selection bias and lack of blinding. The authors suggest that inconsistent implementation, low study quality, and varied measurement methods may explain the lack of observed effects. They call for higher-quality studies and component analyses to identify which mindfulness strategies actually work in health promotion.
BMC Public Health
May 15, 2025
Changlin Zhang, Fang Liu, Hailiang Ran et al.
2 citations
Among 5,897 adolescents in Yunnan Province, China, 34.6% reported having engaged in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) at some point in their lives. School bullying was linked to roughly double the odds of NSSI, while higher mindfulness scores were associated with slightly lower NSSI risk. Mindfulness partially explained the connection between bullying and NSSI, accounting for about a third of the association. Of the mindfulness components, acting with awareness showed the strongest mediating effect. Enhancing mindfulness, particularly acting with awareness, may help reduce NSSI related to school bullying.
BMC Public Health
December 13, 2022
William R. Nardi, Nour Elshabassi, Jayson Spas et al.
Undergraduates at a college with many first-generation students reported that an 8-week mindfulness program helped them cope with stressors, reduced reactivity, and built resilience, especially regarding mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most used practices were those easily added to daily routines. Students said the training improved their ability to handle social distancing and motivated self-care. They preferred in-person, shorter sessions over a longer period, held in the morning or early afternoon.