Short-Term Intensive MBSR and Mental Health Outcomes: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Immediate and Long-Term Effects
Cheng-Wen Lee
Journal of Risk & Control January 2, 2026 DOI: 10.47260/jrc/1311 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Adult participants |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program |
| Duration | 5-day intervention, with follow-up at two and four months |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | A five-day intensive MBSR program significantly improved emotional well-being, reduced depressive symptoms, and increased mindfulness awareness, with gains persisting at two and four months. |
Abstract
This study investigates the effectiveness of a 5-day intensive Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in enhancing emotional well-being, reducing depressive symptoms, and improving mindfulness awareness. Addressing the limited evidence on condensed mindfulness formats, twelve adult participants completed validated pre- and post-intervention assessments, including the Emotional Well-Being Subscale, the Taiwan Depression Scale, and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Paired-samples t-tests revealed significant improvements across all outcomes: emotional well-being increased with a medium effect size (d = 0.659), depressive symptoms decreased substantially (d = 0.834), and mindfulness awareness showed a large gain (d = 1.045). No participant demonstrated declines in emotional well-being, and nearly all improved in mindfulness awareness. Qualitative follow-up analyses at two and four months indicated enduring benefits. Participants described greater emotional clarity, enhanced acceptance, reduced self-criticism, improved stress coping, and increased present-moment engagement, suggesting that the psychological gains persisted beyond the intervention period. Individuals with prior mindfulness experience consistently exhibited higher baseline and post-test mindfulness levels. As a result, the findings provide empirical support for the 5-day intensive MBSR program as a practical and accessible alternative to traditional long-duration courses, capable of generating meaningful and sustained improvements in mental health and mindfulness practice. JEL classification numbers: I12, I31, D91, Z00. Keywords: Mindfulness, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness awareness, Emotional well-being, depression.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |