Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Marital Satisfaction and Distress Tolerance in Women with Premature Menopause
Elahe Geraeeli Moshkabadi, Mahsa Fallahnezhad
International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture 2024 DOI: 10.61838/ijbmc.v11i6.937 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Women aged 35–45 with confirmed premature menopause from healthcare centers in Sari, Iran |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 4-week intervention, 1-month follow-up |
| Measures | ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR significantly improved marital satisfaction and distress tolerance compared to the control group, with effects stable at one-month follow-up. |
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of MBSR in enhancing marital satisfaction and distress tolerance among women with premature menopause. Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and control group was used. Thirty women aged 35–45 with confirmed premature menopause were selected via purposive sampling from healthcare centers in Sari, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). The intervention group received eight 90-minute sessions of MBSR over four weeks. Marital satisfaction was measured using the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, and distress tolerance was assessed using the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Data were analyzed using MANCOVA after verifying statistical assumptions.
Findings: After controlling for baseline scores, the MBSR group showed significantly greater improvements in marital satisfaction and distress tolerance compared to the control group (p < 0.01). These effects remained stable at one-month follow-up.
Conclusion: MBSR appears to be an effective intervention for addressing emotional and relational difficulties associated with premature menopause. Its integration into psychological services for women’s health may support emotional resilience and interpersonal functioning.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |