Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Specifically Improves Social Anhedonia among Adults with Chronic Stress

An 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program reduced social anhedonia in adults with high chronic stress by increasing mindfulness. The effect was fully mediated by changes in mindfulness, meaning MBSR improved social anhedonia specifically through its impact on mindfulness. Other anhedonic domains (e.g., physical or anticipatory pleasure) were not affected. Stress, depression, and negative affect were associated with anhedonic symptoms but did not mediate the relationship. The trial included 68 meditation-naïve adults (average age 32, 62% female) randomly assigned to MBSR or a waitlist control.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of mindfulness on anhedonic symptoms in a sample of adults reporting high levels of chronic stress. Meditation-naïve adults (N=68, Mage=32, 62% female) were randomized to either an 8-week MBSR intervention group (N=35), or to a waitlist control group (N=33). We hypothesized that changes in mindfulness would mediate the relationship between condition and changes in anhedonic symptoms. Additionally, the present study aimed to determine if other theoretically-linked mechanisms (i.e., stress, negative affect(NA), depression) were involved in producing changes in anhedonic symptoms. Results provided evidence for full mediation of the effect of MBSR on social anhedonia through its essential mechanism of ΔMindfulness. These results highlight specificity of anhedonic symptoms targeted by MBSR, with social anhedonia symptoms being modified by changes in mindfulness whereas other anhedonic domains were not. Additionally, although associative relationships were present for stress, depression, NA, and anhedonic symptoms, no mediational relationships emerged.