Improving psychological wellbeing outlook with online mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program during the Covid-19 pandemic: A study of synchronous intervention
Gizem Çeviker, Ayşe Büşra İplikçi
Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi December 12, 2025 DOI: 10.57127/kpd.26024438.1495450 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study (single-group, repeated measures) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 27 |
| Population | Adults with a mean age of 31.56 years (SD = 9.55) |
| Intervention | Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8 weeks; weekly 2.5-hour sessions plus a 4-hour silence retreat day between sessions 6 and 7, totaling 24 hours |
| Measures | Gratitude scale, Self-Compassion scale, Emotion Regulation Skills scale, Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness scale, Meaning in Life scale, Multidimensional Psychological Well-Being scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Participants' psychological well-being increased from pre- to post-assessment, and cognitive and affective mindfulness, self-compassion, search for and presence of meaning, emotion regulation skills, and gratitude increased significantly. The authors suggest online MBSR, like face-to-face MBSR, may have positive effects on psychological well-being. |
Abstract
This study was designed to explore the effect of an online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on multidimensional factors of psychological well-being, such as finding meaning in life, cognitive and emotional awareness, self-compassion, gratitude, emotion regulation, self-acceptance, positive relationships, environmental mastery, personal growth, having a purpose in life, and autonomy. The sample consisted of 27 (Meanage = 31.56, SD = 9.55) participants. Participants received the online MBSR program for eight weeks, consisting of one session lasting two and a half hours each week and eight progressive sessions in total, with a four-hour silence retreat day between the sixth and seventh sessions, for a total of 24 hours. All participants completed the Gratitude, Self-Compassion, Emotion Regulation Skills, Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness, Meaning in Life, and Multidimensional Psychological Well-Being scales before and after the intervention. The means of the pre-test and post-test results were calculated for each participant, and Pearson correlation was examined for the study variables. Repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to examine the effect of the MBSR program on the pre-test and post-test findings of the participants. The results showed that the levels of participants' psychological well-being increased in the pre- and post-assessments. In addition, the levels of cognitive and affective mindfulness, self-compassion, search for and presence of meaning, emotion regulation skills, and gratitude increased significantly. The findings of this study suggest that online MBSR, like face-to-face MBSR, may have positive effects on participants in terms of psychological well-being.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 21
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
and 16 more in the library