Investigating the impact of distinct contemplative mental trainings on daily life stress, thoughts and affect-Evidence from a nine-month longitudinal ecological momentary assessment study.
Roman Linz, Lara M.c. Puhlmann, Veronika Engert, Tania Singer
Psychoneuroendocrinology August 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105800 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal mental training study with ecological momentary assessment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 289 |
| Population | Healthy adults aged 20-55 years (172 women) |
| Duration | 9-month training program; effects assessed after 3-6 and 6-9 months of training |
| Measures | ecological momentary assessment (EMA), stress-reactive cortisol levels |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Ema Ecological momentary assessment Rct Stress coping |
| Key findings | After 3-6 months of training, participants reported more presence-focused thought and heightened arousal independent of training module. Increased coping efficacy emerged specifically after 6-9 months of socio-cognitive Perspective training. No effects were found for subjective stress, stress-reactive cortisol, or daily-life affect, suggesting caution in generalizing acute laboratory stress findings to everyday life. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based mental training interventions have become a popular means to alleviate stress and stress-associated health risks. Previous scientific investigations emphasize the importance of exploring the effects of such interventions in naturalistic settings to evaluate their implementation into daily life. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of three distinct mental training modules on a range of measures of daily life experience in the scope of the ReSource Project, a 9-month longitudinal mental training study comparing modules targeting attention and interoception (Presence), socio-affective (Affect) or socio-cognitive abilities (Perspective). We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to repeatedly probe levels of stress and stress-coping efficacy combined with stress-reactive cortisol levels, and further explored arousal, affective states, and thought patterns in the daily lives of 289 healthy adults (172 women; 20-55 years). We found increased presence-focused thought and heightened arousal after a training duration of 3-6 months, independent of the type of prior training. Increased coping efficacy emerged specifically after socio-cognitive Perspective training, following 6-9 months of training duration. No training effects were found for subjective stress, stress-reactive cortisol levels, or daily life affect. Our findings corroborate and add ecological validity to previous ReSource findings by showing that they replicate in participants' everyday environment. Regarding endocrine and subjective stress markers, our results suggest caution in generalizing acute laboratory findings to individuals' everyday routines. Overall, the current study provides substantiated insights into how cultivating one's mind through contemplative mental training translates to daily life experience, enhances stress-coping, and may ultimately aide in maintaining health.
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 4
- Терапевтическое присутствие: взгляд через созерцательные практики Психологические исследования July 24, 2024
- The effects of an online mindfulness-based intervention for parents of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders October 20, 2026
- Serum BDNF Increase After 9-Month Contemplative Mental Training Is Associated With Decreased Cortisol Secretion and Increased Dentate Gyrus Volume: Evidence From a Randomized Clinical Trial. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science March 1, 2025
- Specific Reduction in the Cortisol Awakening Response after Socio-Affective Mental Training Mindfulness January 28, 2023
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