Psychological trajectories following brief mindfulness training: a longitudinal comparison of active and passive controls
Weiqiang Qi, Xi Li, Xinyue Liang, Maodan Shen, Yichun Zhuo, 唐伟富 Tang Weifu, Yujia Xiang, Taiyong Bi, Hui Kou
Frontiers in Psychology August 26, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1836930 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 180 |
| Population | Adult participants (not further specified) |
| Interventions | Brief mindfulness training Breathing relaxation |
| Duration | Post-intervention and 2-week follow-up |
| Measures | Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), State Mindfulness Scale (SMS), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire–Short Form (FFMQ-SF), Attentional Control Scale (ACS), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Brief mindfulness training produced greater improvements in anxiety, depression, mindfulness, attentional control, emotional intelligence, and resilience compared to both active and passive control conditions, with effects evident at post-intervention and two-week follow-up. The active control group showed only slight within-group changes, no better than the passive control. |
Abstract
Background: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been demonstrated to enhance emotional functioning, but little is known regarding the brief mindfulness training’s effects on various psychological symptoms and positive psychological resources in the long term, especially when compared to both passive and active control conditions. This study aimed to examine the effects of brief mindfulness training on psychological symptoms compared with active and passive control conditions across three time points.
Methods: This study was designed as three-wave longitudinal, three-arm randomized controlled trial. ( N = 180) participants were randomly grouped into mindfulness training group (MG), breathing relaxation group (active control, ACG), and no-treatment control group (passive control, PCG). The psychological outcomes (anxiety, depression, state and trait mindfulness, attentional control, emotional intelligence, and psychological resilience) were determined at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 2 weeks follow-up (T3). Psychological outcomes were assessed using validated self-report instruments, including the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), State Mindfulness Scale (SMS), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire–Short Form (FFMQ-SF), Attentional Control Scale (ACS), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), and Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to test Group × Time effects.
Results: There were no significant differences in baseline between groups. There was a significant Group × Time interaction in all the measured outcomes. The mindfulness group (MG) compared to both control groups had greater post-intervention anxiety and depression reductions and state and trait mindfulness, attentional control, emotional intelligence, and resilience increases. The ACG showed slight within-group changes but not better than the PCG.
Conclusion: Brief mindfulness training had specific, time-varying changes in psychological symptoms and positive psychological resources. These results suggest that mindfulness has more than a general relaxation or engagement effect, which demonstrates its effectiveness as an intervention that can redefine the psychological functioning by using dynamic, targeted attentional regulation processes.