Towards a mechanistic understanding of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) using an RCT neuroimaging approach: Effects on regulating own stress in social and non-social situations.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine if mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) generalizes to everyday social stress situations and to explore the role of cognitive reappraisal and acceptance as emotion regulation mechanisms.
Results Summary
MBSR reduced self-reported stress through cognitive reappraisal and acceptance when regulating self but not others' distress. Brain activation increased for regulating own and others' emotions, though similar effects were seen in the reading intervention for self-regulation. No distant generalization effects on socio-emotional functioning were found.
Population
68 participants in a randomized controlled trial (specific demographics not detailed).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) | decrease | self-reported stress | participants in the RCT | - | led to self-reported stress reduction | #1 |
mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) | increase | brain activation for regulating own emotions | participants in the RCT | - | led to increased brain activation over time | #2 |
mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) | increase | brain activation for regulating others' emotions | participants in the RCT | - | led to increased brain activation over time | #3 |
reading/listening intervention (READ) | increase | brain activation for regulating own stress via reappraisal | participants in the RCT | - | led to increased brain activation over time | #4 |
mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) | no change | socio-emotional functioning (cognitive empathy and compassion) | participants in the RCT | - | could also not be shown | #5 |
Although much research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can reduce psychological stress, it is less clear if effects generalize to everyday social situations, which range among the largest stress triggers. Furthermore, mechanisms of MBIs have not been fully established. Emotion regulation (ER) has been suggested as one key mechanism, yet the role of cognitive reappraisal and acceptance strategies is still under debate. To address these questions, a neuroimaging-based randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed (n=68), comparing mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with a reading/listening intervention (READ), using a novel dyadic paradigm for self and other emotion regulation under stress as primary outcome on behavior and brain levels and established empathy measures (clinicatrials.gov NCT03035669). Compared to READ, MBSR led to self-reported stress reduction through both cognitive reappraisal and acceptance only when regulating self and not when regulating others' distress. In addition, MBSR led to increased brain activation over time for regulating own (parietal cortex) and others' (precuneus, TPJ) emotions through cognitive reappraisal and acceptance, albeit this effect was also seen for the reading intervention for regulating own stress via reappraisal. Brain changes did not scale with subjective stress reduction and amount of meditation practice. More distant generalization effects of MBSR on socio-emotional functioning (cognitive empathy and compassion) could also not be shown. This study identified both cognitive reappraisal and acceptance as two ER mechanisms of MBSR, but indicates that effects do not extend to social settings.