Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Specifically Improves Social Anhedonia among Adults with Chronic Stress
Corinne Carlton, Ligia Antezana, Katelyn Mallory Garcia, Holly Sullivan-Toole, John A. Richey
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 68 |
| Population | Meditation-naïve adults reporting high levels of chronic stress |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR reduced social anhedonia through increases in mindfulness, but did not affect other anhedonic domains. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 11
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Reduces Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation in Veterans Medical Care November 13, 2014
- The effects of mindfulness‐based stress reduction on depression, anxiety, and stress in older adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis International Journal of Mental Health Nursing January 17, 2019
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Frontiers in Psychology June 21, 2018
- Brief Report: Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Individual Mindfulness Therapy for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2018
and 6 more in the library