Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well-being.
There has been great interest in determining if mindfulness can be cultivated and if this cultivation leads to well-being. The current study offers preliminary evidence that at least one aspect of mindfulness, measured by the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS; K. W. Brown & R. M. Ryan, 2003), can be cultivated and does mediate positive outcomes. Further, adherence to the practices taught during the meditation-based interventions predicted positive outcomes. College undergraduates were randomly allocated between training in two distinct meditation-based interventions, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; J. Kabat-Zinn, 1990; n=15) and E. Easwaran's (1978/1991) Eight Point Program (EPP; n=14), or a waitlist control (n=15). Pretest, posttest, and 8-week follow-up data were gathered on self-report outcome measures. Compared to controls, participants in both treatment groups (n=29) demonstrated increases in mindfulness at 8-week follow-up. Further, increases in mindfulness mediated reductions in perceived stress and rumination. These results suggest that distinct meditation-based practices can increase mindfulness as measured by the MAAS, which may partly mediate benefits. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Shapiro
Shauna L
SL
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA. slshapiro@scu.edu
Oman
Doug
D
Thoresen
Carl E
CE
Plante
Thomas G
TG
Flinders
Tim
T
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001290:Attitude; D001364:Awareness; D035061:Control Groups; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013850:Thinking; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists