BMC Psychology
February 1, 2021
Geovan Menezes de Sousa, Geissy Lainny de Lima-Araújo, Dráulio Barros de Araújo et al.
90 citations
Higher trait mindfulness is linked to lower anxiety and perceived stress in university students. A brief mindfulness training reduced anxiety state and perceived stress and increased state mindfulness, while both mindfulness and active control groups showed reduced negative affect and cortisol. Changes in state mindfulness mediated increases in positive affect and decreases in perceived stress and cortisol regardless of trait mindfulness, but anxiety reduction occurred only in those with high trait mindfulness. The results suggest that brief mindfulness interventions can help reduce psychological distress in healthy young students.
BMC Psychology
July 29, 2022
Jacob T Miller, Paul Verhaeghen
46 citations
Mindfulness—understood as a combination of self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence—is linked to compassion, which itself has distinct affective, cognitive, and motivational components. In a survey of 407 undergraduates, reflective awareness predicted multiple aspects of compassion beyond other mindfulness facets and moral foundations. The moral foundation of individualizing (care and fairness) was associated with all compassion aspects, while binding (loyalty, authority, purity) only related to recognizing suffering and willingness to act. Awareness of privilege was positively linked to mindfulness through individualizing and recognition of common humanity, and directly negatively related to binding. Mindfulness and compassion together enhance ethical sensitivities, suggesting mindfulness interventions may foster compassion and ethical awareness.
BMC Psychology
November 1, 2024
Xue Dong, Yan Liu, Kui Fang et al.
33 citations
A meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials involving 1937 breast cancer patients found that 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) significantly reduced anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and improved quality of life and posttraumatic growth immediately after the intervention. The improvements in depression, quality of life, and posttraumatic growth persisted three months after baseline, but effects on fatigue did not. Six-week MBSR showed no statistically significant benefits. MBSR did not significantly improve pain, stress, or fear of cancer recurrence compared to usual care.
BMC Psychology
January 16, 2024
Junliang Zhang, Shuang Zheng, Zhongzheng Hu et al.
28 citations
Higher mindfulness is associated with lower depression in college students, both directly and indirectly through greater psychological resilience. Gender moderates the link between mindfulness and resilience: mindfulness more strongly predicts resilience in women than in men. Data came from 963 Chinese university students surveyed at three universities in Jiangxi Province in April–May 2023.
BMC Psychology
August 6, 2024
Carolina Corthorn, Víctor Pedrero, Natalia Torres et al.
16 citations
Among preschool teachers, higher mindfulness is linked to lower burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression, and to better quality of life. The ability not to judge oneself reduces depression and stress, which in turn improves quality of life. The ability not to react improves quality of life by lowering anxiety and stress. Acting with awareness is the only mindfulness facet that improves quality of life by reducing one dimension of burnout.
BMC Psychology
October 21, 2024
Patrick Pui Kin Kor, Kee Lee Chou, Steven H Zarit et al.
8 citations
A single-session mindfulness-based intervention combined with app-based follow-up may reduce stress in family caregivers of people with dementia. This trial will test the effectiveness and feasibility of a 90-minute group session with mindfulness practices and psychoeducation, plus an 8-week self-practice toolkit and online sharing, compared to an education session on dementia care. The study is a single-blinded randomized controlled trial with assessments at baseline, 8 weeks, and 6 months. Primary outcome is perceived caregiving stress; secondary outcomes include depressive symptoms, positive aspects of caregiving, dyadic relationship, trait mindfulness, and neuropsychiatric symptoms of care recipients. Feasibility outcomes include eligibility, enrollment, attendance, adherence, and retention.
BMC Psychology
May 27, 2025
Yunpeng Wu, Liping Qin, Xizheng Xu et al.
6 citations
Mindfulness is linked to better mental health, but the pathways are not fully understood. A survey of 1,409 Chinese university students tested the Dual Pathways Mindfulness Model, which proposes that mindfulness relates to life satisfaction and depression through self-compassion and rumination in sequence. Higher mindfulness was associated with greater self-compassion, which was linked to lower rumination, and in turn to higher life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms. Mindfulness was positively associated with life satisfaction and negatively with depression. Self-compassion and rumination each separately mediated these associations, and a sequential pathway through both was also found. The cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions.
BMC Psychology
May 19, 2025
Laurent Charvin, Alexis Akinyemi, Jean-Yves Mariette et al.
5 citations
A combined mindfulness and self-compassion program for health care professionals was associated with reduced burnout. Among 12 nurses and doctors who completed the four-week MBCARE training, emotional exhaustion scores decreased and personal accomplishment scores increased. In a smaller group of 7 participants, positive affect increased after training while negative affect remained stable. Patient-perceived centeredness of care showed no significant changes. Time and availability constraints limited participation, but the program was feasible. Contextualizing training to professional settings may help health care professionals apply new skills, potentially improving emotional regulation and self-compassion.
BMC Psychology
May 19, 2025
Songhu Kong, Lingling Qiu, Yangyang Su et al.
5 citations
Mindfulness practices reduce cognitive load stress and directly improve physical performance among university students in physical education. Cognitive load stress also serves as a mechanism through which mindfulness enhances performance, indicating an indirect effect. Self-regulation strengthens both the direct and indirect pathways, shaping these relationships. The findings contribute to goal-setting theory and stress and coping theory by clarifying how mental strategies link to physical outcomes. Practical implications suggest integrating mindfulness and self-regulation into physical education programs to foster better performance and well-being.
BMC Psychology
April 24, 2025
Tsui Yuk Law, Daniel Bressington, Jiayin Ruan et al.
4 citations
A pilot randomized controlled trial tested mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for Chinese parents of children aged 3–12 with ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-six parents were randomly assigned to MBSR or usual care; all completed the program. Self-perceived stress in the MBSR group dropped from 29.44 before intervention to 25.50 immediately after and 24.72 one month later. Parental stress scale scores fell from 74.50 to 68.94 and then to 67.50. The MBSR group showed significantly greater stress reduction than usual care. 66% of participants reported satisfaction, suggesting MBSR is feasible and effective for reducing parental stress in this population.
BMC Psychology
April 23, 2025
Lin Liu, Hailing Jia, Baiyang Qiu et al.
3 citations
Higher mindfulness is linked to fewer depressive symptoms in college students, partly because it reduces shyness and improves core self-evaluation. A chain mediation model using two samples (646 and 269 students) showed that mindfulness influences depression sequentially through shyness and then core self-evaluation. The findings suggest that mindfulness practices may help prevent or treat depressive symptoms, especially in shy students, by lowering shyness and boosting self-evaluation.
BMC Psychology
January 2, 2026
Reza Moshfeghinia, Sara Mostafavi, Kimia Jazi et al.
2 citations
Psilocybin may reduce depressive symptoms in cancer patients, with mixed effects on anxiety and time-dependent improvements in spiritual well-being and, in single-arm data, quality of life. However, due to the small number of studies, high heterogeneity, challenges with blinding and expectancy, and frequent co-intervention with psychotherapy, these findings are preliminary. Larger, rigorously blinded trials are needed to determine clinical effectiveness and safety.
BMC Psychology
December 8, 2025
Alla Glushich, Justin DeMaranville, Tinakon Wongpakaran et al.
2 citations
Older Thai Buddhist meditators who strictly follow the Five Precepts and regularly practice death contemplation show higher levels of inner strengths like generosity, morality, mindfulness, wisdom, and equanimity, along with greater well-being, gratitude, and life satisfaction, and lower anxiety, depression, and aggression compared to less dedicated peers. However, gratitude levels did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting gratitude may depend on factors beyond these practices. The findings highlight the combined benefits of ethical conduct and contemplation of impermanence for mental health and resilience in older adults.
BMC Psychology
July 29, 2025
Justin DeMaranville, Tinakon Wongpakaran, Nahathai Wongpakaran et al.
2 citations
Among 440 Thai boarding school students aged 15–18, those who practiced death recollection—a form of mindfulness meditation focused on awareness of death—showed fewer depression symptoms linked to stress. Students who had practiced death recollection in the past month (10.2% of the sample) experienced a moderating effect: the relationship between stress and depression was weaker for them. The population had moderate stress and low depression on average. The finding suggests death recollection may help protect against stress-related depression in adolescents, though a longitudinal study is needed to confirm causality.
BMC Psychology
July 1, 2025
Patrick Pui Kin Kor, Kee Lee Chou, Alex Pak Lik Tsang et al.
2 citations
A new closed-loop mindfulness program, delivered partly through a mobile app called Mind & Care, is being tested against a traditional mindfulness program and a brief education control in a randomized controlled trial with 189 family caregivers of people with dementia. The closed-loop program adapts practice durations based on the user's attentional capacity and provides quantifiable feedback to support sustained practice. The primary outcome is perceived stress; secondary outcomes include depressive symptoms, peace of mind, caregiving burden, relationship quality, dispositional mindfulness, heart rate variability, and the care recipient's neuropsychiatric symptoms.
BMC Psychology
May 20, 2025
Bahr Weiss, Van Vu, Hoang-Minh Dang et al.
2 citations
Depression is a major global health problem, and most people in low- and middle-income countries do not receive evidence-based treatment due to a shortage of mental health professionals and stigma. Task-shifting—training non-professionals to deliver mental health services—can help. This paper describes a planned cluster-randomized clinical trial that adapts Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for use in Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam. The trial will compare MBCT-VN against treatment-as-usual (Buddhist meditation) across eight pagodas with 160 participants. The primary outcome is depression severity (PHQ-9); secondary outcomes include quality of life and implementation measures. The study is non-blinded and lacks long-term follow-up but aims to provide preliminary evidence on pagodas as task-shifting sites for mindfulness-based depression interventions.
BMC Psychology
May 1, 2025
Bronwyn M. Theroux, Ned Chandler-Mather, Jessica Paynter et al.
2 citations
A program combining mindfulness with movement to music, called the Mindful Movement Program (MMP), was tested for feasibility and preliminary impact in early primary classrooms. Over two school terms, 133 students (average age 6.6 years) participated. Teacher-reported executive functioning, externalising, and internalising behaviour problems significantly decreased after the intervention. A subset of 50 students showed significant improvements in motor skills. The program was feasible and acceptable, with high recruitment (91%) and retention rates (98% for students, 100% for teachers). Further controlled studies are needed to confirm effectiveness.
BMC Psychology
November 16, 2025
Tayebeh Rakhshani, Afrooz Bagherfard, Amirhossein Kamyab et al.
1 citation
A mindfulness-based stress reduction program improved self-compassion, reduced stress, and strengthened parent-child relationships among health caregivers. Forty health caregivers in Masjed Soleyman were assigned to either an eight-session mindfulness intervention or a control group. Two months after the program, the intervention group showed significantly lower stress and higher self-compassion compared to the control group, and parent-child relationship scores also improved. The findings suggest that mindfulness training can help working mothers regulate emotions and connect more positively with their children.
BMC Psychology
July 23, 2025
Pei Liu, Buddahavamsa Yang Li, Juan Liu et al.
1 citation
A twelve-week program combining loving-kindness meditation and mindfulness of breathing appears feasible for adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and their parents. Among 28 adolescents, NSSI behavior decreased significantly at the end of the program and at a three-month follow-up, and depressive symptoms decreased significantly at three months. Parents reported improved emotion regulation and parenting attitudes, and both adolescents and parents perceived better parent-child relationships. Satisfaction with the intervention was high (4.27 out of 5), and adolescent dropout was modest (14.2%), though parent dropout was 33%. Qualitative feedback indicated positive attitudes but challenges in sustaining practice. A larger randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm effectiveness.
BMC Psychology
April 26, 2025
Yanhe Deng, Taoyuan Du, Xianglong Zeng et al.
1 citation
People are less interested in cultivating kindness than in boosting their own happiness, even when signing up for loving-kindness and compassion meditation training. Two studies—one with 583 university students and another with 1,075 participants in a four-week online training—found that kind attitudes were the least desired outcome among potential trainees. Higher interest in meditations focused on subjective well-being predicted increases in personal happiness. The findings suggest that a hedonic bias, prioritizing personal happiness over kindness, is reinforced by trainees themselves, raising philosophical and ethical questions for modern positive psychology.
BMC Psychology
March 9, 2026
Yunting Song, Jiaxiu Zhang, Shukurjon Gaziev et al.
A 10-day intensive mindfulness training for elite badminton athletes increased self-reported mindfulness but did not significantly improve accuracy or reaction time on the Tower of London executive task compared to an active control group. Under low cognitive load, the mindfulness group showed a lower hemodynamic response in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and a higher neural efficiency index in that region. The vlPFC response was positively associated with reaction time. The absence of robust behavioral changes suggests caution in interpreting the neural findings.
BMC Psychology
February 13, 2026
Amir Sultan, Sadiya Sajad
Delusion-like experiences vary in degree among emerging adults, with three distinct subgroups identified: weak endorsement (29.7%), moderate endorsement (45.6%), and strong endorsement (24.7%). The strong endorsement group showed marked elevations in distress, preoccupation, and conviction dimensions, supporting hybrid models that view psychosis as a continuum with increased psychological impact at the upper end. Socio-demographic variables did not shape profile membership. The findings support a dimensional view of psychosis while revealing a separate subgroup at the upper severity end.
BMC Psychology
February 3, 2026
Esra Teke
Mindfulness predicts greater life satisfaction among young adult earthquake survivors through improved psychological adjustment. In a longitudinal study of 277 Turkish young adults (58.5% female, average age 21.5), mindfulness measured at the first survey predicted higher psychological adjustment six months later, which in turn predicted greater life satisfaction. Psychological adjustment mediated the link between mindfulness and later life satisfaction. The findings suggest that mindfulness-based interventions and psychological counseling can support post-trauma adjustment and life satisfaction.
BMC Psychology
February 2, 2026
Yanlin Zhao, Junwei Liu, Xiaobo Yang et al.
Mindfulness is positively linked to self-efficacy in sports training and training competition satisfaction among China University Basketball Association (CUBA) athletes. A cross-sectional survey of 684 athletes showed that mindfulness directly predicts higher self-efficacy and satisfaction, with self-efficacy partially mediating the relationship (indirect effect 0.210, accounting for 45.3% of the total effect). A subsequent eight-week mindfulness intervention with 32 athletes (16 per group) confirmed that, compared to standard technical training, mindfulness training significantly improved mindfulness levels, self-efficacy, and satisfaction over time. Mindfulness thus serves as an effective method for enhancing psychological skills in athletes.
BMC Psychology
January 21, 2026
Christina Chwyl, Angelica Spata, Will Lucas et al.
Psychological context, or 'set,' is more strongly linked to the outcomes of psychedelic experiences than the specific substance used, suggesting a 'mindset-over-molecule' pattern. The findings indicate that the mental state and expectations of the user play a more influential role than the chemical properties of the drug alone.