Perceived stress mediates the relationship between mindfulness and negative affect variability: A randomized controlled trial among middle‐aged to older adults

Abstract

Despite the interest in mindfulness over the past 20 years, studies have only recently begun to examine mindfulness in older adults. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate pretreatment to post-treatment change in negative affect variability (NAV) following a mindfulness training among 134 mildly stressed, middle-aged to older adults. The secondary aim was to assess if the effects of mindfulness training on NAV would be partially explained by pretreatment to post-treatment reductions in perceived stress, a trend that would be congruent with several stress models. In this randomized control trial, participants were assigned to either a 6-week mindfulness meditation training programme or to a wait list control. Ecological momentary assessment, a data capturing technique that queries about present moment experiences in real time, captured NAV. Mixed-model ANOVAs and a path analysis were conducted. Participants in the mindfulness meditation training significantly reduced NAV when compared with wait list control participants. Further, there was a significant indirect group effect on reductions in NAV through change in perceived stress. Few studies have tested mechanisms of action, which connect changes that occur during mindfulness training with psychological outcomes in older adults. Understanding the mechanisms by which mindfulness enhances well-being may optimize interventions.

Mindfulness-based Wellness and Resilience intervention among interdisciplinary primary care teams: a mixed-methods feasibility and acceptability trial

“…Participants of MBWR described (1) enhanced self-awareness, (2) increased self-regulation skills, and (3) increased team cohesion, congruent with the three essential aims of resilience-promoting programs (Epstein and Krasner, 2013). Existing literature suggests that to enhance resilience in the face of stressful work conditions, medical providers must be able to recognize when they are adversely affected by stress, cultivate skillful responses to the stressors, and self-regulate their cognitive, emotional, somatic, and behavioral reactions to the stressors (Shapiro et al, 2005;Wolever et al, 2012;Epstein and Krasner, 2013;Schroeder et al, 2016;Colgan et al, 2018;West et al, 2018). Following MBWR, participants reported increased awareness and non-reactivity of inner thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations.…”

Job Demands and Resources, Positive and Negative Affect, and Psychological Distress of Social Workers in China

“…To apply this finding, employers may implement a number of interventions that seek to promote PA while reducing NA. For example, studies on mindfulness-based interventions have provided evidence of mindfulness's effectiveness in improving PA and reducing NA ( 67 – 69 ). Moreover, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) all can effectively reduce psychological distress and promote mental health and well-being ( 70 – 72 ).…”

The Short- and Long-term Causal Relationships Between Self-compassion, Trait Mindfulness, Caregiver Stress, and Depressive Symptoms in Family Caregivers of Patients with Lung Cancer

“…People who practice self-compassion have a lower probability of being self-critical and a higher probability of engaging in self-care and positive change, aiding them in being mindful and responding constructively to difficult experiences (Barnard & Curry, 2011 ; Jay Miller et al, 2019 ). Being mindful enables people to be more aware and accepting of their experiences of the present moment, leading to reductions in stress levels and other negative outcomes (Colgan et al, 2019 ; Creswell & Lindsay, 2014 ). Moreover, as supported by previous findings (Pires et al, 2018 ), people with higher self-compassion scores report greater mindfulness and sensitivity to emotional stimuli.…”