Brief mindfulness meditation based on Buddhist Anapanasati regulates stress response in young Chinese males.

A two-week Brief Mindfulness Meditation (BMM) intervention, practiced 15 minutes daily, reduced perceived stress and the low-frequency/high-frequency heart rate variability ratio while increasing positive affect and acting with awareness in young Chinese men aged 20–30. The effect on positive affect was fully mediated by reduced perceived stress, whereas the effect on negative affect was partially mediated by enhanced acting with awareness. BMM promotes emotional well-being through distinct mechanisms: lowering perceived stress boosts positive affect, and cultivating awareness reduces negative affect.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of a two-week Brief Mindfulness Meditation (BMM) intervention for stress and emotion dysregulation in young Chinese men. In a randomized controlled trial, with 85 male participants (aged 20-30) were assigned to either a two-week BMM intervention (15 min daily) or a control group with neutral audio interventions. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included physiological (HRV, cortisol), psychological (PSS, PANAS) and mindfulness-related outcomes (FFMQ). Compared with the control group, the BMM group showed significant reductions in perceived stress (-5.00, 95% CI [-9.50, -0.52]) and LF/HF ratio (-0.65, 95% CI [-1.16, -0.13]), as well as significant increases in positive affect (7.39, 95% CI [3.81, 10.97]) and Acting with Awareness. Mediation analyses further indicated that the effect on positive affect was fully mediated by a reduction in perceived stress, whereas the effect on negative affect was partially mediated by an enhancement in Acting with Awareness. BMM effectively reduces stress and promotes emotional well-being in young men through distinct mechanisms: it enhances positive affect by lowering perceived stress and mitigates negative affect by cultivating an awareness-based approach to acting.