The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Emotional Flexibility and Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression in Divorced Women: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Rasoul Heshmati, Bassam Khoury, Shahin Azmoodeh, Masoumeh Zerang, Isabel Sadowski
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease April 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001619 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Divorced women from a general community sample |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Measures | Emotional Flexibility Questionnaire (EFQ), Ambivalence Over the Expression of Emotion Questionnaire (AEQ) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Divorced women who completed eight weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction showed significant increases in emotional flexibility and significant decreases in ambivalence over emotional expression compared with a waiting-list control group. The authors propose that MBSR may support emotion regulation and better adjustment to separation in this population. |
Abstract
The present study was developed to evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the level of emotional flexibility and ambivalence related to emotional expression of divorced women. A general community sample of 30 divorced women was recruited and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received MBSR for 8 weeks, and the control group was placed on a waiting list. The Emotional Flexibility Questionnaire (EFQ) and the Ambivalence Over the Expression of Emotion Questionnaire (AEQ) were administered to both groups before (pre) and after (post) the treatment. Data were analyzed using two-way mixed repeated-measures analyses of variance. The results showed that women in the treatment group had a significant increase in the total score of the EFQ and its components. In addition, the MBSR group had a significant decrease in the total score of the AEQ and its components. MBSR intervention shows potential for use with divorced women to help with emotion regulation and subsequent better adjustment to separation.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations Psychological Medicine November 27, 2009
- The psychological and neurophysiological concomitants of mindfulness forms of meditation Acta Neuropsychiatrica April 1, 2007
- Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on alexithymia: a systematic review Evidence-Based Mental Health August 4, 2018
and 8 more in the library