Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for improving hope and happiness in men with visual impairment
Anahita Khodabakhshi‐Koolaee, Samira Ghadyani, Alireza Malekitabar
British Journal of Visual Impairment 2026 DOI: 10.1177/02646196241294212 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design with a control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Visually impaired men aged 20 to 40 living in Tehran in 2023, supported by the State Welfare Organization of Iran and members of the White Cane Society |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | Eight 90-minute MBSR sessions, once a week |
| Measures | Snyder's Adult Hope Scale, Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR improved hope and happiness in visually impaired men: mean hope scores increased from 20 to 25.53 and mean happiness scores from 66.86 to 75.93 after eight sessions. The authors conclude MBSR can be an effective intervention for enhancing happiness and hope and reducing psychological complications of visual impairment. |
Abstract
Hope and happiness are positive emotions that affect an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. These two variables also affect different aspects of an individual’s life such as physical health, lifespan, academic performance, socialization process, creative thinking, problem-solving ability, and mental health. This study seeks to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in improving hope and happiness in visually impaired people. Employing a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design with a control group, this study sought to examine the degree of the effectiveness of MBSR therapy in improving hope and happiness in visually impaired people. The participants were selected from all visually impaired men aged 20 and 40 living in Tehran in 2023, who were supported by the State Welfare Organization of Iran and were members of the White Cane Society. A total of 40 visually impaired people were selected as the participants and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (each with 20 members). The data were collected using Snyder’s Adult Hope Scale (1991) and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ; 1990). The participants in the intervention group attended eight 90-min MBSR intervention sessions once a week. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. The mean hope scores in the pre-intervention and post-intervention stages were 20 ± 3.28 and 25.53 ± 3.138, respectively. The mean happiness scores in the pre-intervention and post-intervention stages were 66.86 ± 5.91 and 75.93 ± 4.47, respectively (mean difference = 75.93 – 66.86). The findings showed that MBSR was effective in improving hope ( F = 32.7; p = .01) and happiness ( F = 45.86; p < .001) in men with visual impairment. As a result, MBSR can be considered an effective intervention to enhance happiness and hope while reducing the psychological complications associated with visual impairment in affected individuals.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Clinical effectiveness of mindfulness-based music therapy on improving emotional regulation in blind older women: A randomized controlled trial. Integrative Medicine Research December 1, 2023
- Examining the Occurrence and Clinical Impact of Difficult Experiences that Emerge during a Mindfulness-Based Intervention among Individuals at High-Risk of Suicide. Mindfulness June 18, 2024
- Benefits of meditation and breathing exercises in vision loss patients British Journal of Visual Impairment October 15, 2023
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for improving health, quality of life and social functioning in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis 2017
and 1 more in the library