Self-administered mindfulness interventions reduce stress in a large, randomized controlled multi-site study
Alessandro Sparacio, Hans IJzerman, Ivan Ropovik, Giorgini Filippo, Christoph Spiessens, Bert N. Uchino, Joshua Landvatter, Tracey Tacana, Sandra Julia Diller, Jaye L. Derrick, Joahana Segundo, Jace D. Pierce, Robert Malcolm Ross, Zoë Lynn Francis, Amanda LaBoucane, Christine Ma‐Kellams, Máire B. Ford, Kathleen Schmidt, Celia Ching Yee Wong-Meli, Wendy C. Higgins, Bryant M. Stone, Samantha K. Stanley, Gianni Ribeiro, Paul T. Fuglestad, Valerie Jaklin, Andrea Kübler, Philipp Ziebell, Crystal L. Jewell, Yulia V. Kovas, Mahnoosh Allahghadri, Charlotte Fransham, Michael F. S. Baranski, Hannah M. Burgess, Annika Benz, Maysa DeSousa, Catherine E. Nylin, Janae C. Brooks, Caitlyn M. Goldsmith, Jessica M. Benson, Siobhán M. Griffin, Stephen Dunne, W.E. Davis, Tamlyn Watermeyer, William B. Meese, Jennifer L. Howell, Laurel Standiford Reyes, Megan Strickland, Sally S. Dickerson, Samantha Pescatore, Shayna Skakoon‐Sparling, Zachary I. Wunder, Martin V. Day, Shawna Brenton, Audrey Helen Linden, Christopher E. Hawk, Léan V. O’Brien, Tenzin Urgyen, Jennifer S. McDonald, Kim Lien van der Schans, Heidi Suzanne Blocker, Gabriela M. Jiga‐Boy
April 17, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/krbn3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled experiment (pre-registered multi-site study) Preregistered |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,239 |
| Population | English-speaking adults from higher-income countries; 70.4% women, mean age 22.4 years (SD = 10.1) |
| Intervention | Body Scan |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Registration | NCT06308744 |
| Key findings | All four single, stand-alone mindfulness exercises reduced self-reported short-term stress more than an active control. Body Scan produced the largest reduction, with a mean difference of 0.27 (d = -0.56; 95% CI, -0.43 to -0.69) between control (M = 1.95, SD = 0.50) and Body Scan (M = 1.68, SD = 0.46). The authors suggest these benefits may apply to English speakers from higher-income countries. |
Abstract
Mindfulness witnessed a significant popularity surge in the past decade, especially as digitally self-administered interventions became available at relatively low costs. Yet, it is uncertain whether they effectively help reduce stress. In a pre-registered (OSF:https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/UF4JZ; retrospective registration at ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT06308744) multi-site study (Nsites = 37, Nparticipants = 2,239, 70.4% women, Mage = 22.4, SDage = 10.1, all fluent English speakers) we experimentally tested whether four single, stand-alone mindfulness exercises effectively reduced stress, using Bayesian mixed-effects models. All exercises proved to be more efficacious than the active control. We observed a mean difference of .27 (d = -.56; 95% CI, -.43 to -.69) between the control condition (M = 1.95, SD = 0.50) and the condition with the largest stress reduction (i.e., Body Scan: M = 1.68, SD = 0.46). Our findings suggest that mindfulness may be beneficial for reducing self-reported short-term stress for English speakers from higher-income countries.
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 8
- Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion October 1, 2008
- The mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy adherence scale: inter‐rater reliability, adherence to protocol and treatment distinctiveness Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy March 1, 2002
- Effects of Brief and Sham Mindfulness Meditation on Mood and Cardiovascular Variables The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine July 28, 2010
- Group, One-on-One, or Internet? Preferences for Mindfulness Meditation Delivery Format and their Predictors Open Medicine Journal November 28, 2014
- Can a little bit of mindfulness do you good? A systematic review and meta-analyses of unguided mindfulness-based self-help interventions. Clinical Psychology Review August 30, 2021
and 3 more in the library