Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well‐being
Shauna L. Shapiro, Doug Oman, Carl E. Thoresen, Thomas G. Plante, Tim Flinders
Journal of Clinical Psychology May 16, 2008 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20491 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 44 |
| Population | College undergraduates |
| Interventions | Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Eight Point Program |
| Duration | 8-week follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Rumination Mindfulness meditation Psychological intervention Clinical psychology Mindfulness-based stress reduction Psychotherapist Cognition |
| Citations | 694 |
| Key findings | Participants in both meditation-based interventions showed increases in mindfulness at 8-week follow-up compared to controls, and increases in mindfulness mediated reductions in perceived stress and rumination. |
Abstract
There has been great interest in determining if mindfulness can be cultivated and if this cultivation leads to well-being. The current study offers preliminary evidence that at least one aspect of mindfulness, measured by the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS; K. W. Brown & R. M. Ryan, 2003), can be cultivated and does mediate positive outcomes. Further, adherence to the practices taught during the meditation-based interventions predicted positive outcomes. College undergraduates were randomly allocated between training in two distinct meditation-based interventions, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; J. Kabat-Zinn, 1990; n=15) and E. Easwaran's (1978/1991) Eight Point Program (EPP; n=14), or a waitlist control (n=15). Pretest, posttest, and 8-week follow-up data were gathered on self-report outcome measures. Compared to controls, participants in both treatment groups (n=29) demonstrated increases in mindfulness at 8-week follow-up. Further, increases in mindfulness mediated reductions in perceived stress and rumination. These results suggest that distinct meditation-based practices can increase mindfulness as measured by the MAAS, which may partly mediate benefits. Implications and future directions are discussed.