Trait mindfulness and acute stress: a test of the stress-buffering mechanism
Shanice Herms, Anna Sutton, Katharina Näswall
Current Psychology February 24, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-026-09181-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 64 |
| Population | Participants (likely adults, not further specified) |
| Intervention | Trier Social Stress Task |
| Measures | negative affect, anxiety, heart rate |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Generalizability theory Affect linguistics Stress linguistics Social stress Clinical psychology Experience sampling method Trait anxiety Mechanism biology Test biology Developmental psychology Stressor Social support |
| Key findings | Higher trait mindfulness was associated with lower state anxiety across both conditions (p = .005, η2 = 0.12), but not with negative affect or heart rate. Mindfulness moderated the effects of trait anxiety and trait stress on state negative affect, indicating a general stress-buffering effect. |
Abstract
Excessive and prolonged stress is linked to adverse physical and psychological outcomes. Social evaluative threats such as public speaking can trigger acute stress which can elicit significant physiological and psychological stress responses. Mindfulness has been proposed as a factor protecting individuals from these responses, particularly under high-stress conditions. This study tested the mindfulness stress buffering hypothesis by examining whether trait mindfulness is linked to lower stress responses and whether this buffering effect is stronger under acute social evaluative stress, aiming to replicate a previous study. Sixty-four participants completed measures of mindfulness, anxiety, and stress before being randomly assigned to a high- or low-stress condition. Participants in the high stress condition completed the Trier Social Stress Task. State stress was assessed via subjective (negative affect, anxiety) and objective (heart rate) measures. Results showed that higher trait mindfulness was linked to lower anxiety across both conditions, (p = .005, η2 = 0.12) but not to differences in negative affect (p = .884, η2 = 0.002) or heart rate (p = .227, η2 = 0.02.) Mindfulness further moderated the relationship between trait anxiety and state negative affect (b = − 0.03, p < .05) and the effect of trait stress on state negative affect (b = − 0.08, p < .001). Findings suggest trait mindfulness has a general stress-buffering effect, rather than one specific to acute social evaluative threat, providing partial support for the stress-buffering hypothesis. Given the sample and controlled laboratory setting, generalizability to broader populations should be interpreted with caution.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
- Measuring mindfulness Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Buffering Stress or Building Resources? A Test of Mindfulness Mechanisms in the Workplace. Psychological Reports July 1, 2025
- Perceived Stress Mediates the Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Physical Symptoms of Stress: a Replication Study Using Structural Equation Modeling. Mindfulness July 6, 2022
- Does Dispositional Mindfulness Predict Cardiovascular Reactivity to Emotional Stress in Prehypertension? Latent Growth Curve Analyses from the Serenity Study. Mindfulness September 18, 2021
and 5 more in the library