Mindfulness-based online intervention increases well-being and decreases stress after Covid-19 lockdown.
Francesco Bossi, Francesca Zaninotto, Sonia D'Arcangelo, Nicola Lattanzi, Andrea P Malizia, Emiliano Ricciardi
Scientific Reports April 20, 2022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10361-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled longitudinal study (non-randomized, intervention vs. no-treatment control) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 132 |
| Population | Healthy employees, assessed after the first Italian Covid-19 lockdown |
| Duration | 8-week intervention with weekly surveys |
| Measures | FFMQ-15, ERQ, PANAS, DASS-21, RSA, ISI |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Stress, psychological Communicable disease control Internet-based intervention Covid-19 |
| Key findings | The online MBSR-based program produced significant group-by-time differences in mindfulness (particularly nonreactivity), positive affect, depression, and insomnia relative to no treatment. Practice frequency and perceived ease of practice correlated positively with well-being indices and negatively with stress indices, which the authors present as evidence that online mindfulness training helps employees cope with stress after the Covid-19 lockdown. |
Abstract
Mindfulness interventions were shown to be effective in improving well-being and reducing perceived stress in several conditions. These effects were also found in online mindfulness-based training, especially in employees in organizational environments. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of an online mindfulness intervention on healthy employees, especially after the first Italian Covid-19 lockdown. Participants in the intervention group underwent an 8-week mindfulness online training program based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) protocol compared to a control (no-intervention) group. All participants filled in weekly surveys for the whole intervention duration via online questionnaires to measure their habits, mindfulness (FFMQ-15), emotion regulation (ERQ), positive and negative affect (PANAS), depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21), resilience (RSA) and insomnia (ISI). 69 participants in the intervention group and 63 in the no-treatment control group were considered in the longitudinal analyses. We found significant differences between the intervention and control groups over time in the measures of mindfulness (in particular the nonreactivity subscale), positive affect, depression, and insomnia. Moreover, we found that the frequency of practice and ease perceived in practicing were positively correlated to several indices of well-being (mindfulness, positive affect, cognitive reappraisal) and negatively correlated to several indices of stress (negative affect, depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, expressive suppression). These results show the importance and effectiveness of online mindfulness training programs to cope with stress among employees, especially after the Covid-19 lockdown.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 25
- Combined mindfulness-based stress reduction and physical activity improved psychological factors and sleep quality in patients with MDD: A randomized controlled trial study. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing December 1, 2024
- Effects of long-term mindfulness meditation training on attentional capacity in professional male fencer athletes. Scientific Reports April 15, 2025
- Long-term effects of combined mindfulness intervention and app intervention compared to single interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology 2024
- Rational thinking as a mediator of the relationship between mindfulness and dental anxiety Scientific Reports February 22, 2023
- Online Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Healthcare Professionals: A Scoping Review Workplace Health & Safety August 31, 2024
and 20 more in the library
Cites 36
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- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
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- Mindfulness on-the-go: Effects of a mindfulness meditation app on work stress and well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology May 3, 2018
and 31 more in the library