title: Short-form mindfulness-based stress reduction reduces anxiety and improves health-related quality of life in an inner-city population.
abstract: Mindfulness-based stress reduction is a mindfulness-based intervention that is an effective treatment modality for many conditions including stress, anxiety, and depression. Using data from 23 patients who completed a short-form mindfulness-based stress reduction course at a federally qualified health center, a quasi-experimental design was used to assess the impact of participation on self-reported anxiety, stress, mindfulness, and quality of life. Mindfulness and stress showed improvements from pre- to posttests, but neither difference achieved statistical significance. Participants showed statistically significant decreases in anxiety (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale score: 7.8-4.4; P = .005) and improvements in health-related quality of life including the 36-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey Mental Component Summary (+9.1; P = .001), Physical Functioning (+6.6; P = .039), Vitality (+16.1; P = .001), Social Functioning (+16.9; P = .003), Role Physical (+16.8; P = .016), and Mental Health (+15.6; P < .001) subscales. These findings suggest that an abbreviated mindfulness-based stress reduction course can serve to reduce anxiety and improve quality of life in an underserved population.
authors: Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Brad
authors: B
authors: Smith
authors: Kathleen
authors: K
authors: Metzker
authors: Roberta
authors: R
authors: Waite
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Gerrity
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*