Changes in spirituality partly explain health-related quality of life outcomes after Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
Jeffrey M Greeson, Daniel M Webber, Moria J Smoski, Jeffrey Brantley, Andrew G Ekblad, Edward C Suarez, Ruth Quillian Wolever
Journal of Behavioral Medicine December 2011 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-011-9332-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 279 |
| Population | Adults participating in an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction |
| Duration | 8-week program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Increased daily spiritual experiences following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction may partially explain improved mental health-related quality of life through enhanced mindfulness (indirect effect β = 0.07). Changes in spirituality and mindfulness were each related to mental health improvement, but physical health outcomes showed no significant effects. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a secular behavioral medicine program that has roots in meditative spiritual practices. Thus, spirituality may partly explain Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction outcomes. Participants (N = 279; M (SD) age = 45(12); 75% women) completed an online survey before and after an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that, following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the relationship between enhanced mindfulness and improved health-related quality of life is mediated by increased daily spiritual experiences. Changes in both spirituality and mindfulness were significantly related to improvement in mental health. Although the initial mediation hypothesis was not supported, an alternate model suggested that enhanced mindfulness partly mediated the association between increased daily spiritual experiences and improved mental health-related quality of life (indirect effect: β = 0.07, P = 0.017). Effects on physical health-related quality of life were not significant. Findings suggest a novel mechanism by which increased daily spiritual experiences following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction may partially explain improved mental health as a function of greater mindfulness.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 40
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as a Stress Management Intervention for Healthy Individuals Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine July 22, 2014
- Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- A narrative review of yoga and mindfulness as complementary therapies for addiction. Complementary Therapies in Medicine June 1, 2013
- The Effect of Loving-Kindness Meditation on Flight Attendants’ Spirituality, Mindfulness and Subjective Well-Being Healthcare June 16, 2020
- The Turkish Version of the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised Europe’s Journal of Psychology October 8, 2012
and 35 more in the library
Cites 24
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well‐being Journal of Clinical Psychology May 16, 2008
- The meeting of meditative disciplines and western psychology: A mutually enriching dialogue. American Psychologist 2006
- Stress Reduction through Mindfulness Meditation Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
and 19 more in the library