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Psychological factors have been shown to influence the process of wound healing. This study examined the effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on the speed of wound healing. The local production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors was studied as potential underlying mechanism. Forty-nine adults were randomly allocated to a waiting-list control group (n = 26) or an 8-week MBSR group (n = 23). Preand post-intervention/waiting period assessment for both groups consisted of questionnaires. Standardized skin wounds were induced on the forearm using a suction blister method. Primary outcomes were skin permeability and reduction in wound size monitored once a day at day 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 after injury. Secondary outcomes were cytokines and growth factors and were measured in wound exudates obtained at 3, 6, and 22 h after wounding. Although there was no overall condition effect on skin permeability or wound size, post hoc analyses indicated that larger increases in mindfulness were related to greater reductions in skin permeability 3 and 4 days after wound induction. In addition, MBSR was associated with lower levels of interleukin (IL)-8 and placental growth factor in the wound fluid 22 h after wound induction. These outcomes suggest that increasing mindfulness by MBSR might

Exerting self-control leads to a diminished capacity to carry out successive acts of self-control, a process termed ego depletion. The present study investigated whether dispositional optimism, priming of an optimistic orientation, or their interaction can counteract the ego depletion effect. A total of 160 participants performed a self-control-demanding weight-lifting task on two occasions. Half of the participants were depleted between the two weight-lifting tasks. Because depletion of self-regulatory resources can undermine optimism half of the participants in the depletion, and no-depletion condition were primed for an optimistic orientation before performing the second self-control task. Results demonstrated an interaction between dispositional optimism and optimism priming. Only in participants high in dispositional optimism did the optimism prime lead to undiminished persistence on the weight-lifting task. These results demonstrate that dispositional optimism may lead to improved goal persistence in the face of adversity only under conditions in which optimistic schemas are activated.