Stress and Health
March 15, 2010
Kathryn A. Birnie, Michael Speca, Linda E. Carlson
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
Vickie Y. Chang, Oxana Palesh, Rebecca Caldwell et al.
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
Mary Lou Galantino, Michael Baime, Maureen Maguire et al.
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
Michael J. Mackenzie, Linda E. Carlson, Marleny Munoz et al.
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
November 22, 2013
Xinghua Liu, Wei Xu, Yuzheng Wang et al.
72 citations
A randomized controlled trial tested whether mindfulness training enhances inner peace in people without mental disorders. Fifty-seven participants were assigned to either mindfulness training or a wait-list control. Inner peace was measured using the experience sampling method, along with attentional focus via the Meditation Breath Attention Score and self-reported mindfulness via the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Mindfulness training increased scores for inner peace, attentional focus, and self-reported mindfulness compared to the control group. However, changes in inner peace were not explained by changes in self-rated mindfulness or attentional focus. The findings suggest mindfulness training can improve inner peace, though only immediate effects were examined.
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.
Stress and Health
March 5, 2026
A. G. Little, Matthew J. Stainer, Alex Sandy MacQuarrie et al.
1 citation
Student paramedics who practiced the A52 Breath Method—a structured slow-diaphragmatic-breathing protocol (5-second inhale, 5-second exhale, 2-second hold) twice daily for 12 weeks—reported significantly lower stress, anxiety, and depression and higher resilience compared to a control group, with medium to large effect sizes. Insomnia and psychological wellbeing did not change significantly. Qualitative feedback indicated benefits for emotional regulation and perceived psychological safety, though some challenges with practice engagement were noted. The findings suggest breathwork may serve as a scalable upstream intervention to support mental health during paramedic training.
Stress and Health
July 18, 2026
Nicola S. Schutte, Adam J. Rock
A meta-analysis of 56 samples totaling 24,494 participants found that greater mindfulness is associated with less perceived stress, with a moderate weighted effect size. Studies that measured mindfulness using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale or the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and stress using the Perceived Stress Scale, showed substantial effects. The results suggest a possible bidirectional relationship: nonjudgmental awareness may help appraise events as less stressful, and lower perceived stress may free cognitive resources that promote mindfulness. The analysis does not establish causality.
Stress and Health
March 6, 2022
Qing Liu, Jian Zhu, Wenjuan Zhang
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) significantly reduces PTSD symptoms, with a moderately positive effect (g=0.46). A meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials involving 768 participants found MBSR effective for PTSD patients regardless of the cause of their condition. The intervention is feasible as an auxiliary or alternative treatment for PTSD.