Effects of a online brief modified mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy for anxiety among Chinese adults: A randomized clinical trial.
Minghuan Wang, Han Zhang, Xiaofan Zhang, Qian Zhao, Jing Chen, Caihong Hu, Renjie Feng, Denghua Liu, Peicai Fu, Chenyan Zhang, Jie Cao, Jianrong Yue, Haihang Yu, Hongxia Yang, Biting Liu, Wanting Xiong, Huiqi Tong, Suiqiang Zhu, Yuan Yang
Journal of Psychiatric Research May 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.03.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 150 |
| Population | Adults with anxiety symptoms from the general population |
| Interventions | Modified mindfulness-based stress reduction (mMBSR) Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) |
| Duration | 6 sections in 3 weeks; assessments at baseline, post-treatment, and 6 months post-treatment |
| Measures | Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-15, Cohen Perceived Stress scale, Insomnia Severity Index, Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Anxiety disorders Cognitive-behavioral therapy Mental health Randomized clinical trial |
| Key findings | The authors report that an online brief modified mindfulness-based stress reduction program significantly improved anxiety, depression, somatization, stress, insomnia, and pleasure scores compared with a waitlist group, with benefits persisting at 6 months and showing no significant difference from cognitive-behavioral therapy. |
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated anxiety and related symptoms among the general population. In order to cope with the mental health burden, we developed an online brief modified mindfulness-based stress reduction (mMBSR) therapy. We performed a parallel-group randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the mMBSR for adult anxiety with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as an active control. Participants were randomized to mMBSR, CBT or waitlist group. Those in the intervention arms performed each therapy for 6 sections in 3 weeks. Measurements were conducted at baseline, post-treatment and 6 months post-treatment by Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-15, reverse scored Cohen Perceived Stress scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale. 150 participants with anxiety symptoms were randomized to mMBSR, CBT or waitlist group. Post intervention assessments showed that mMBSR improved the scores of all the six mental problem dimensions (anxiety, depression, somatization, stress, insomnia, and the experience of pleasure) significantly compared to the waitlist group. During 6-month post treatment assessment, the scores of all six mental problem dimensions in the mMBSR group still showed improvement compared to baseline and showed no significant difference with the CBT group. Our results provide positive evidence for the efficacy and feasibility of an online brief modified MBSR program to alleviate anxiety and related symptoms of individuals from the general population, and the therapeutic benefits of mMBSR persisted for up to six months. This low resource-consuming intervention could facilitate the challenges of supplying psychological health therapy to large scale of population.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- The effect of mindfulness meditation on depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports August 30, 2024
- Mobile-Delivered Mindfulness Intervention on Anxiety Level Among College Athletes: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research March 8, 2024
- Smartphone Mindfulness Intervention Reduces Anxiety Symptoms and Perceived Stress in Autistic Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial Mindfulness April 8, 2025
- Online mindfulness-based vs. cognitive-behavioural stress reduction for medical students: A randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry Research July 11, 2025
- Effectiveness of an online mindfulness based stress reduction intervention on psychological distress among patients with COVID19 after hospital discharge. Scientific Reports July 13, 2025
and 4 more in the library
Cites 14
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- 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
- Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review British Medical Bulletin April 21, 2021
- How long does a mindfulness‐based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress Journal of Clinical Psychology March 23, 2009
- Mindfulness-based therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy for people with anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of random controlled trials Annals of Palliative Medicine July 1, 2021
and 9 more in the library