Mindful Awareness and Stress Associations Among People Living With the Effects of Stroke and their Partners: Findings From a Daily Diary Study.
Hannah Tschenett, Elizabeth Zambrano Garza, Theresa Pauly, Kenneth M Madden, Maureen C Ashe, Rachel Murphy, Denis Gerstorf, Wolfgang Linden, Urs M. Nater, Christiane A Hoppmann
Biopsychosocial science and medicine October 23, 2026 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001539 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Daily diary study (observational, dyadic) Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 86 |
| Population | Community-dwelling couples in Canada (mean age 67±10 years, 50% female) with one partner living with the effects of stroke |
| Duration | Up to 14 days of daily evening reports |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Ageing Daily life assessments Dyadic Stress Stroke |
| Key findings | Individuals reported more daily stress when they perceived their partner as more stressed and when their partner reported more stress, both daily and overall. Higher daily and overall mindful awareness was associated with less daily stress within individuals. People living with stroke effects reported less daily stress when their partners had higher overall mindful awareness, but this association was not found in the reverse direction or for daily mindful awareness. |
Abstract
Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, significantly affecting the health of individuals post stroke and their partners. Both people living with the effects of stroke (PLWS) and their partners experience elevated stress. Therefore, this daily diary study examined day-to-day variations in stress and its association with mindful awareness as a potential protective factor against stress within and between PLWS and their partners. Eighty-six community-dwelling couples (67±10 y old, 50% female) in Canada, with one partner living with the effects of stroke, reported their daily stress, their partners' stress, and their own mindful awareness every evening for up to 14 days. Distinguishable dyads models showed that individuals reporting that their partners felt more stressed (daily and overall), and whose partners felt more stressed (daily and overall) reported more daily stress themselves. In contrast, when individuals reported more mindful awareness (daily and overall), they reported less daily stress. PLWS also reported less daily stress when their partners reported more overall mindful awareness. However, this dyadic association was not found in the other direction or for daily mindful awareness. Results suggest dyadic associations of daily stress between partners and indicate that mindful awareness may reduce daily stress within individuals. Within the dyad, PLWS seemed to benefit from their partners' mindful awareness. Results highlight the significant role of the partner for PLWS and emphasize the need to consider how interpersonal dynamics vary, particularly in couples managing medical conditions. The study was preregistered at OSF (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/XTV2H).
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |