Predicting the Sustainability of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Effects: The Influence of Baseline Mindfulness on Longitudinal Outcomes
September 27, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/t85zc_v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Longitudinal |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 568 |
| Population | Participants in twelve Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction studies |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention with 2-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Across twelve MBSR studies, the intervention significantly increased mindfulness and reduced stress by 17–28%, with the greatest gains among participants who began with lower baseline mindfulness. The authors report weak evidence that mindfulness improvements persisted beyond the intervention, suggesting that MBSR-cultivated mindfulness may be a transient state rather than a lasting trait. |
Abstract
This article examines the influence of baseline mindfulness on the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) interventions. Data from twelve MBSR studies (568 participants) were analyzed to assess changes in mindfulness and stress over an eight-week intervention and a subsequent two-month follow-up. The findings show that MBSR significantly enhances mindfulness and reduces stress (17–28%), with individuals exhibiting lower baseline mindfulness experiencing the greatest gains in both outcomes. However, evidence for sustained mindfulness enhancement beyond the intervention period is weak, suggesting that while baseline mindfulness may represent a stable trait, mindfulness cultivated during MBSR functions more as a transient state. Concluding remarks summarize the main findings and outline directions for future research on the durability of mindfulness-based intervention effects during follow-up periods.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |