The Integration of Meditation and Positive Psychology Practices to Relieve Stress in Women Workers (Flourish): Effects in Two Pilot Studies.
Fabio R M Dos Santos, Shirley S Lacerda, Cassia C Coelhoso, Carla R Barrichello, Patricia R Tobo, Elisa H. Kozasa
Behavioral Sciences March 26, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/bs11040043 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Exploratory pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 86 |
| Population | Healthcare professionals (Experiment 1) and women managers (Experiment 2) |
| Interventions | Meditation Positive psychology-based intervention |
| Duration | Eight weeks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Stress Intervention Positive psychology |
| Key points | An eight-week multi-component intervention based on positive psychology and meditation practices was associated with reduced stress in both experiments, along with reduced anxiety symptoms in healthcare professionals and reduced psychiatric symptoms and improved sleep quality in women managers, compared with control groups. |
Abstract
Meditation and positive psychology have been reported as promising approaches to deal with stress. This exploratory pilot study aims to evaluate the efficacy of meditation and positive psychology-based intervention on stress. Two experiments are reported; in the first one, 29 healthcare professionals were included (intervention = 14; control = 15), and the second one included 57 women managers (intervention = 27; control = 30). All participants were evaluated before and after eight weeks for levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and psychiatric symptoms. In Experiment 1, intervention group participants showed a reduction in stress levels and anxiety symptoms, and in Experiment 2, participants in the intervention group showed a decrease in stress, psychiatric symptoms, and sleep quality, when compared to the control group. A multi-component intervention based on positive psychology and meditation practices was effective at reducing stress as well as improving related stress parameters such as anxiety, psychiatric symptoms, and sleep quality.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Effects of an 8-Week App-Based Mindfulness Intervention on Mental Health in Working Women: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research February 2, 2026
- Impact of an eight-week app-based mindfulness intervention on subjective and objective sleep quality: a randomized controlled trial among working women BMC Digital Health October 8, 2025
Cites 7
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review July 26, 2011
- The integration of mindfulness and psychology Journal of Clinical Psychology April 1, 2009
- A Stress Reduction Program Adapted for the Work Environment: A Randomized Controlled Trial With a Follow-Up Frontiers in Psychology May 9, 2018
- Positive Effects of a Stress Reduction Program Based on Mindfulness Meditation in Brazilian Nursing Professionals: Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation. Explore 2016
and 2 more in the library