Adherence to Practice of Mindfulness in Novice Meditators: Practices Chosen, Amount of Time Practiced, and Long-Term Effects Following a Mindfulness-Based Intervention.
Letícia Ribeiro, Rachel M Atchley, Barry Oken
Mindfulness April 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-017-0781-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort (within a single-arm intervention) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | Mildly stressed adults aged 50 to 80 years |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 6-week intervention with 8-week post-intervention follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Adherence Informal mindfulness Placebo effect |
| Key findings | Adherence to home mindfulness practice was high, averaging about 23 minutes per day during the six-week intervention and about 16 minutes per day during the eight-week follow-up. Self-reported stress and quality of life improved significantly over time, but these changes did not correlate with practice time, which the authors suggest may reflect the influence of other psychological phenomena such as the quality of meditation practice. |
Abstract
In this study, we objectively tracked the duration, frequency, and the preferred practices chosen by novice mindfulness practitioners following a mindfulness meditation (MM) intervention. A sample of 55 mildly stressed participants, aged 50 to 80 years old, underwent an individual 6-week MM intervention and had their guided meditation home practice electronically recorded during the intervention and the 8-week post-intervention period. Participants' psychological well-being was assessed through self-report measures of mindfulness, quality of life, and symptoms of depression and stress. Results evidenced a high adherence to practice, with an average of ~23 minutes per day during the intervention and ~16 minutes per day in the follow-up period. Body scan, sitting meditation, and breathing space were the most popular meditation practices among participants. Our results showed significant alterations in self-reported measures over time, suggesting improvements in stress and overall quality of life. Changes in the self-report measures did not correlate with MM practice time, which suggests that other psychological phenomena, including quality of meditation practice, influence these outcomes.
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 40
- Mindfulness Training for People With Dementia and Their Caregivers: Rationale, Current Research, and Future Directions Frontiers in Psychology June 13, 2018
- Exploring mindfulness interventions across cultures: a comparative meta-analysis of mindfulness interventions for athletes in Western and Eastern contexts Frontiers in Psychology October 31, 2024
- How we teach mindfulness matters: Adolescent development and the importance of informal mindfulness. Journal of school psychology August 1, 2024
- Changes in Parent Psychological Flexibility after a One-Time Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Parents of Adolescents with Persistent Pain Conditions Children September 3, 2018
- Believing in the Powers of Mindfulness: A Thematic Narrative Approach and the Development of a New Scale Mindfulness June 21, 2023
and 35 more in the library
Cites 28
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians JAMA September 22, 2009
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
and 23 more in the library