Do gender, anxiety, or sleep quality predict mindfulness-based stress reduction outcomes?
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to identify factors (gender, baseline anxiety, and sleep quality) that predict outcomes of an 8-week MBSR program on emotion regulation and stress symptoms.
Results Summary
Women and men showed similar improvements in stress symptoms and cognitive reappraisal, but men improved more in emotion suppression. Individuals with higher baseline anxiety and worse sleep quality experienced greater stress reduction.
Population
Adults (women and men) participating in an 8-week MBSR program.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
8 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program | increase | health and well-being | - | - | improve | #1 |
8-week MBSR program | increase | stress symptoms | Women and men | - | similar improvement | #2 |
8-week MBSR program | increase | cognitive reappraisal | Women and men | - | similar improvement | #3 |
8-week MBSR program | increase | emotion suppression | men | - | improved more | #4 |
8-week MBSR program | decrease | stress | Individuals with higher anxiety and worse sleep pre-treatment | - | benefited most in terms of decreased | #5 |
Although mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can improve health and well-being, less is known about factors that predict outcomes. This prospective observational study examined gender and baseline anxiety and sleep quality as predictors of change in emotion regulation and stress symptoms following an 8-week MBSR program. Women and men reported similar improvement in stress symptoms and cognitive reappraisal, whereas men improved more in emotion suppression. Individuals with higher anxiety and worse sleep pre-treatment benefited most in terms of decreased stress. Evaluating pre-treatment characteristics could help determine optimal candidates for MBSR training, and could optimize outcomes for both women and men.