Comparing brief stress management courses in a community sample: mindfulness skills and progressive muscle relaxation.
John D Agee, Sharon Danoff-Burg, Christoffer A. Grant
Explore 2009 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2008.12.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 43 |
| Population | Adults from the community responding to advertisements for a free stress management course |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Progressive muscle relaxation |
| Duration | Five-week courses |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation and progressive muscle relaxation did not differ significantly on posttreatment relaxation, mindfulness, or any primary outcome, though mindfulness participants practiced more often. Across both conditions, general psychological distress decreased significantly from pretreatment to posttreatment. The authors suggest a brief mindfulness skills course may be effective for stress management even though it was not clearly superior to progressive muscle relaxation. |
Abstract
This study sought to compare a five-week mindfulness meditation (MM) course to a five-week course that taught progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). Forty-three adults from the community were randomly assigned to either MM (n = 19) or PMR (n = 24) courses after responding to flyers and other advertisements for a free stress management course. Mindfulness meditation participants practiced meditation significantly more often than PMR participants practiced relaxation during the intervention period (F[1, 43] = 7.42; P < .05). Interestingly, the two conditions did not differ significantly in their posttreatment levels of relaxation or mindfulness. Although there were no differences between groups on any of the primary outcome measures, across both treatment conditions there were statistically significant reductions from pretreatment to posttreatment in general psychological distress. Thus, although MM did not emerge as clearly superior to PMR, results of this study suggest that a brief mindfulness skills course may be effective for stress management.
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
Cited by 13
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Mechanisms of Mindfulness in the General Population Mindfulness July 1, 2018
- The Influence of Buddhist Meditation Traditions on the Autonomic System and Attention BioMed Research International 2015
- Change in Time Perception Following the Place of Pre-Existence Technique International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health February 16, 2023
- Cardiovascular reactivity and recovery to stressful tasks following a mindfulness-analog in college students with a family history of hypertension 2011
and 8 more in the library
Cites 12
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Health Care Professionals: Results From a Randomized Trial. International Journal of Stress Management May 1, 2005
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
and 7 more in the library