Mindfulness intervention for child abuse survivors: a 2.5-year follow-up.
Michael D Earley, Margaret A Chesney, Joyce Frye, Preston A. Greene, Brian Berman, Elizabeth Kimbrough
Journal of Clinical Psychology October 2014 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22102 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Long-term follow-up of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | Follow-up assessment at 2.5 years (128 weeks) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Child abuse Long-term follow-up Mindfulness intervention Posttraumatic stress disorder Sexual abuse |
| Key points | At roughly 2.5 years after a mindfulness-based stress reduction program, adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse showed significant improvements in depression, PTSD, anxiety, and mindfulness, with effect sizes ranging from d = .5 to d = 1.1. The authors suggest MBSR may be an effective long-term treatment for this population and call for further investigation. |
Abstract
The present study reports on the long-term effects of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Of the study participants, 73% returned to the clinic for a single-session follow-up assessment of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and mindfulness at 2.5 years. Repeated measures mixed regression analyses revealed significant long-term improvements in depression, PTSD, anxiety symptoms, and mindfulness scores. The magnitude of intervention effects at 128 weeks ranged from d = .5 to d = 1.1. MBSR may be an effective long-term treatment for adults who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Further investigation of MBSR with this population is warranted given the durability of treatment effects described here.
Citations in the library
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- The sustained effect of 5-week EmotionCore mindfulness training on emotion regulation and emotional intelligence: heterogeneous benefits for depression and anxiety across subgroups Frontiers in Psychiatry July 18, 2025
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Cites 13
- 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
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction to manage affective symptoms and improve quality of life in gay men living with HIV. Journal of Behavioral Medicine June 2012
- Conceptualizing mindfulness and acceptance as components of psychological resilience to trauma. Trauma, violence & abuse October 1, 2011
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