Beneficial Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training on the Well-Being of a Female Sample during the First Total Lockdown Due to COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy
A. Accoto, S. Chiarella, A. Raffone, A. Montano, A. de Marco, Francesco Mainiero, Roberta Rubbino, Alessandro Valzania, D. Conversi
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health May 21, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115512 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDuring the first total lockdown in Italy, an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course plus six weeks of video support for meditation practice improved self-acceptance, purpose in life, and relation to others in a sample of Italian females, compared to a control group. Participants with greater mindfulness scores showed high levels of psychological flexibility, which in turn was positively associated with higher psychological well-being. The findings suggest that MBSR can support psychological well-being in female subjects even during an unpredictable adverse event like the COVID-19 lockdown.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Italian females |
| Intervention | video support for meditation practice |
| Duration | 8-week MBSR course plus 6 weeks of video support |
| Keywords | Medicine Psychology |
| Key finding | An 8-week MBSR course plus video support improved self-acceptance, purpose in life, and relation to others in Italian females during the COVID-19 lockdown. |
Abstract
The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown have been widely recognized as traumatic events that pose threats to psychological well-being. Recent studies reported that during such traumatic events, women tend to be at greater risk than men for developing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Several studies reported that a mindfulness-based stress reduction protocol (MBSR) provides useful skills for dealing with traumatic events. In our study, a sample of Italian females received an 8-week MBSR course plus 6 weeks of video support for meditation practice during the first total lockdown in Italy. We assessed the participants with questionnaires before and after this period to investigate their mindfulness skills, psychological well-being, post-traumatic growth, and psychological flexibility. After the intervention, the meditators group reported improvement in measures associated with self-acceptance, purpose in life, and relation to others compared to the control group. Furthermore, our results showed that participants with greater mindfulness scores showed high levels of psychological flexibility, which in turn was positively associated with higher levels of psychological well-being. We concluded that the MBSR could support psychological well-being, at least in female subjects, even during an unpredictable adverse event, such as the COVID-19 lockdown, by reinforcing key psychological aspects.