The Effect of a Brief Mindfulness Training on Distress Tolerance and Stress Reactivity.
Joseph K Carpenter, Jenny Sanford, Stefan G Hofmann
Behavior Therapy May 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2018.10.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 107 |
| Population | Undergraduates naive to mindfulness |
| Intervention | Brief mindfulness training |
| Dose | 15-minute mindfulness training |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Distress tolerance Mediation Moderation |
| Key findings | A 15-minute mindfulness training increased task persistence on a hyperventilation challenge and reduced the urge to neutralize an upsetting sentence relative to a relaxing-music control, with no effect on distress ratings. Overall trait mindfulness did not moderate persistence, though lower 'act with awareness' scores predicted greater benefit on the hyperventilation task. The authors suggest mindfulness can increase distress tolerance without altering the subjective experience of distress. |
Abstract
Poor distress tolerance (DT) is considered an underlying facet of anxiety, depression, and a number of other psychological disorders. Mindfulness may help to increase DT by fostering an attitude of acceptance or nonjudgment toward distressing experiences. Accordingly, the present study examined the effects of a brief mindfulness training on tolerance of different types of distress, and tested whether trait mindfulness moderates the effect of such training. Undergraduates (n = 107) naïve to mindfulness completed a measure of trait mindfulness and underwent a series of stress tasks (cold pressor, hyperventilation challenge, neutralization task) before and after completing a 15-minute mindfulness training or a no-instruction control in which participants listened to relaxing music. Participants in the mindfulness condition demonstrated greater task persistence on the hyperventilation task compared to the control group, as well as a decreased urge to neutralize the effects of writing an upsetting sentence. No effect on distress ratings during the tasks were found. Overall trait mindfulness did not significantly moderate task persistence, but those with lower scores on the act with awareness facet of mindfulness demonstrated greater relative benefit of mindfulness training on the hyperventilation challenge. Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of mindfulness training on cold pressor task persistence and urges to neutralize through the use of the nonjudge and nonreact facets of mindfulness. These results suggest that a brief mindfulness training can increase DT without affecting the subjective experience of distress.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.