Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Live Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.
Timothy D Riley, Siddhartha Roy, Jessica A Parascando, Kevin Wile, Christina T LaGamma, Huamei Dong, Aleksandra Zgierska
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine June 2022 DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2021.0415 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-methods study using a sequential explanatory design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 73 |
| Population | Paying members of the general public enrolled in one of six live MBSR courses; mostly white, non-Hispanic, middle-aged females with annual household income over $100,000 |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week MBSR curriculum |
| Measures | Treatment Satisfaction Survey, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, 36-item Short Form Survey |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Covid-19 Mixed methods |
| Key points | Online MBSR was feasible and acceptable, with course completion of 67.6% online versus 84.1% in-person (a difference reported as not statistically significant). Online participants rated the course highly for stress coping and reported a high likelihood of continuing mindfulness practice; focus group responses indicated reduced perceived loss of control and improved quality of life and morale during the pandemic. The authors conclude online delivery could expand access to MBSR and address health inequities. |
Abstract
Objectives: To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) live online during the COVID-19 shutdown.
Design: Mixed-methods study using a sequential explanatory design. Settings/location: Cohorts 1-4 took place in-person and Cohorts 5-6 took place over Zoom following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subjects: Participants were paying members of the general public enrolled in one of six live MBSR courses.
Interventions: All MBSR courses followed the standard 8-week MBSR curriculum, led by experienced instructors. Outcome measures: Feasibility measured via class attendance, acceptability measured via the adapted Treatment Satisfaction Survey, and MBSR course effects measured by a focus group with Cohort 5, and the following assessments completed by all cohorts: Perceived Stress Scale-10, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the 36-item Short Form Survey.
Results: 73 adults participated in six live MBSR courses (48 in the four in-person courses; 25 in the two online courses). Most of the participants identified as white, non-Hispanic, middle-aged females, with annual household income >$100,000. Course completion, defined as at least 6/8 classes attended, did not differ between in-person and online cohorts (84.1% versus 67.6%, respectively, p = 0.327). Participants in Cohort 5 who completed the course (n = 10) rated it as very important and useful for stress coping, and reported high likelihood of continuing their mindfulness practice (all ratings: between 8 and 10 on a 1-10 Likert scale), with open-ended responses corroborating their numerical ratings. Focus group (n = 6) responses indicated that online MBSR was positively received, reduced perceived loss of control, and improved quality of life and morale during the pandemic.
Conclusions: Delivering MBSR live online can be feasible and acceptable for the general public, and is potentially beneficial, including during the social upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online delivery could help expand access to MBSR and address health inequities.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Effects of online mindfulness-based stress reduction training on depression and anxiety symptoms among psychiatric healthcare workers in a randomized controlled trial: the mediating role of emotional suppression. BMC Psychiatry June 4, 2025
- Pilot study of an online brief mindfulness-based intervention to improve the well-being of managers and reduce their stress at work. International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE September 1, 2024
- Integrating Virtual Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Into Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care: Mixed Methods Feasibility Trial. JMIR Formative Research May 6, 2024
- Mindfulness in Parkinson's disease: A French national survey and a pilot intervention feasibility trial using the MBSR program (M-Park). Revue Neurologique October 1, 2024
- Toward precision mindfulness: Predicting mindfulness outcomes after Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction using interpretable machine learning Behaviour Research and Therapy August 19, 2026
and 9 more in the library
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