No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
The effects of four days of intensive mindfulness meditation training (Templestay program) on resilience to stress: a randomized controlled trial
Abstract
The interest in mindfulness meditation interventions has surged due to their beneficial effects in fostering resilience and reducing stress in both clinical and non-clinical populations. However, the relaxation benefits that may occur while practicing mindfulness meditation and long-term benefits of these interventions remain unclear. Fifty-one participants were recruited and randomized into the experimental and control groups, which underwent 4 days of Intensive Meditation (Templestay program, n = 33) and Relaxation (Control, n = 18), respectively. The self-report measures of Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS) and the modified Korean version of the Resilience Quotient Test (RQT) were administered pre-, post- and 3 months after the intervention to measure participants’ levels of mindfulness and resilience. Participants in both the Templestay program and Control groups showed significant increases in their scores on CAMS and RQT after completing the program. During the 3-month follow-up, a significant interaction effect of the intervention method and time was revealed for the individuals’ CAMS and RQT scores. Our findings support the hypothesis that while relaxation practices may have certain stress reduction effects, the effects are predominantly mediated by the mindfulness meditation practice. Furthermore, the long-term benefits of increased resilience observed in the Templestay program group suggest that the practice may be a possible treatment strategy in clinical populations, such as patients with depression and anxiety.
... Specific to our study, we find that mindfulness is correlated with both resilience and stress. Subjective sense of happiness may be increased by increasing resilience (Hwang et al., 2018), and by reducing stress (Schiffrin and Nelson, 2010). Though mindfulness is conducive for happiness as it facilitates awareness of what is worth doing, and doing it well (Ryan et al., 2008) little is known about how effectively mindfulness translates into happiness by simultaneously decreasing stress and enhancing resilience. ...
... Though mindfulness is conducive for happiness as it facilitates awareness of what is worth doing, and doing it well (Ryan et al., 2008) little is known about how effectively mindfulness translates into happiness by simultaneously decreasing stress and enhancing resilience. Prior research suggests individual relationships among mindfulness, stress, resilience and happiness (Tran et al., 2014;Coo and Salanova, 2018;Hwang et al., 2018); however, to the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated effects of mindfulness on happiness through both resilience and stress together as mediators of these effects. This is particularly important as most studies focusing on stress, emphasize psychopathology rather than human strengths, whereas studies focusing on happiness tend to emphasize human strengths and qualities, resilience being a central one (Snyder et al., 2011). ...
... Mindfulness was shown to have the potential to cultivate resilience (Nila et al., 2016;Wang et al., 2016;Hwang et al., 2018). People with high levels of mindfulness gain enhanced ability to respond appropriately to difficult situations without reacting in automatic and non-adaptive ways (Langer and Moldoveanu, 2000;Wallace and Shapiro, 2006;Sass et al., 2019). ...
The aim of the present study was to examine the mediation effects of resilience and stress, two perceived opposite constructs, in the relationship between mindfulness and happiness. Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales short version-21 were administered to 523 undergraduate university students in India. Structural Equation Modeling with bootstrapping was applied to test the mediating effects of resilience and stress. Results showed that resilience and stress partially mediated the mindfulness-happiness relationship. In addition, resilience partially mediated the relationship of mindfulness to stress. Findings suggest that mindfulness may play an influential role in enhancing happiness through the mediating effects of resilience and stress.
... Concerning control groups, twenty-one interventions used waitlist or no intervention groups as comparators, and nine studies compared the main intervention with the usual care condition. As for those that used attention control groups, three of them applied active comparators [46,51,63], while the other five used passive comparison groups [32,33,53,56,57]. ...
... Hwang et al. [32] "the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of threat (APA)" (p. 2); "factor that potentially buffers against the negative impact of work stress (Howard, 2008)" (p. 5) ...
... According to a proposed scheme by Chmitorz et al. [22], in preventive (pre-exposure) studies, only healthy populations should be included, since the objective of these interventions is to protect, not to treat. Among the three studies in this review that were conducted pre-exposure, two used only healthy populations [32,38], while the other did not limit the criteria based on the existence of dysfunction [28]. ...
Resilience interventions have been gaining importance among researchers due to their potential to provide well-being and reduce the prevalence of mental disorders that are becoming an increasing concern, especially in Western countries, because of the costs associated. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the intervention studies carried out in the last decade in adult population samples, evaluate their methodological quality and highlight the trends of these types of interventions. This review was performed using systematic literature searches in the following electronic databases: B-on, PubMed, PsycNet and Science Direct. The application of eligibility criteria resulted in the inclusion of 38 articles, of which 33 were randomized controlled trials and the other five were nonrandomized controlled studies. Although most studies showed statistical significance for their results, these were constrained by the great heterogeneity of the studies, the lack of power of the samples and their fair methodological quality. Therefore, it is important to consolidate the theoretical basis and standardize certain methodologies so that the effects of the interventions can be compared through a meta-analysis.
... Seven of the twelve studies examined the effect of mindfulness meditation on behavior including mindfulness and sleep quality. Two studies reported that mindfulness improved, following 120 minutes/weeks for 6 weeks in Breast cancer survivors and continuous training 19 hours for 3 days and 4 nights in healthy population (Hwang et al., 2018). The other 2 studies also reported the improvement of sleep quality and insomnia symptoms following daily 13-minute for 8 ...
... continuous training 19 hours for 3 days and 4 nights in healthy population (Hwang et al., 2018). ...
... Previous study confirmed the mindfulness skill improvement with meditation Hwang et al., 2018), which also mediated the relationships between the intervention and declined in depressive symptoms . Moreover, the findings indicated that 8 weeks of 13-minutes daily meditation relieved feelings of negativity by decreasing levels of mood disturbance and anxiety (Basso et al., 2019) as well as increased positive affect (Jain et al., 2007). ...
The thesis aims to investigate the effects of two techniques of emotional reglulation, mindfulness meditation and yoga, on stress reactivity, alexithymia, and its relevant variables. Forty-four healthy particiants were ramdomly allocated into 3 groups; mindfulness meditation, yoga and control. The results showed that the 8-weeks of mindfulness meditation (one session/week with an instructor and two sessions as home-practice) significantly improved mindfulness skill and concentration. While, the 8-weeks of yoga significantly ameliorated heart rate variability, (increased HF(n.u.), decreased LF(n.u.) and LF/HF). However, there was no significant interaction effect of group x time for stress hormones. Furthermore, there was no significant interaction effect of group x time for alexithymia. We add a qualitative analysis to better understand the process behind the changes following theinterventions. It indicated that the mindfulness meditation seemed to be the most effective intervention for alexithymia. Individual differences such as personality, attitudes and confidence on the effectiveness of intervention as well as the level of physical activity should be taken into account in the choice of the most appropriate intervention for a specific profile. Despite the study limitations due to the small subjects number in the different groups, it appears that mindfulness meditation and yoga seem to be an effective intervention for stress management, and mindfulness meditation would be suggested for alexithymia.
... To minimize the effects of non-meditative factors, such as diet and environment, the intervention program for the relaxation group included the same diet and residence without any meditation-related activities. Our previous study suggested that the short-term intensive meditation via Templestay enhanced mindfulness and resilience after the program, and the improvements were maintained after 3 months of follow-up (Hwang et al., 2017). ...
... The brain imaging data were collected at two different time points: 2-3 days before and after the intervention. The recruitment procedure and intervention program are introduced thoroughly in a previous report (Hwang et al., 2017). ...
... A total of 12 sessions were conducted between July 2014 and July 2015 (seven meditation and five relaxation sessions), and none of the sessions occurred concurrently. More detailed information on the program were introduced in the previous studies and Supplementary Figure 1 (Hwang et al., 2017;Kwak et al., 2019). ...
While recent studies have suggested behavioral effects of short-term meditation on the executive attentional functions, functional changes in the neural correlates of attentional networks after short-term meditation have been unspecified. Here, we conducted a randomized control trial to investigate the effects of a 4-day intensive meditation on the neural correlates of three attentional functions: alerting, orienting, and executive attention. Twenty-three participants in meditation practice and 14 participants in a relaxation retreat group performed attention network test (ANT) during functional magnetic resonance imaging both before and immediately after intervention. The meditation group showed significantly improved behavioral performance in the executive control network in ANT after the intervention. Moreover, neural activities in the executive control network, namely, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), were also significantly increased during the ANT after meditation. Interestingly, neural activity in the right ACC was significantly predicted by behavioral conflict levels in each individual in the meditation group, indicating significant effects of the program on the executive control network. Moreover, brain regions associated with the alerting and orienting networks also showed enhanced activity during the ANT after the meditation. Our study provides novel evidence on the enhancement of the attentional networks at the neural level via short-term meditation. We also suggest that short-term meditation may be beneficial to individuals at high risk of cognitive deficits by improving neural mechanisms of attention.
... Templestay is a 3night and 4-day retreat program in which participants experience the life of Buddhist practitioners by staying at a Buddhist temple. This program includes 19 h of meditation training and other activities involving behavioral-lifestyle modifications, including but not limited to the ceremonial service; 108 bows, a ritual to remove worldly desires; and the tea ceremony (Hwang et al. 2018). In an earlier study, Hwang et al. (2018) reported that this 4-day program has benefits of increased resilience, thus rendering participants less vulnerable to stress. ...
... This program includes 19 h of meditation training and other activities involving behavioral-lifestyle modifications, including but not limited to the ceremonial service; 108 bows, a ritual to remove worldly desires; and the tea ceremony (Hwang et al. 2018). In an earlier study, Hwang et al. (2018) reported that this 4-day program has benefits of increased resilience, thus rendering participants less vulnerable to stress. Therefore, it is likely that the combination of this meditation training with comprehensive behavioral-lifestyle modifications might have an effect on neural plasticity. ...
... Therefore, meditation may improve cognitive functions related to the functions of specific brain regions, and these improvements are associated with enhanced microstructural integrity of the WM. Similar to other meditation studies, the Hwang et al. (2018) study on Templestay suggested improvements in cognitive functions. Therefore, it can be speculated that the WM might exhibit changes in areas similar to the changes reported in other meditation studies with Templestay. ...
Objectives
Further explorations are needed to determine how behavioral-lifestyle changes of various types influence neural plasticity in the white matter (WM); in particular, little is known about the influence of one’s self-discipline on changes in WM. A retreat program called Templestay follows the self-discipline practices used by Buddhist monks for 3 nights and 4 days; this program mainly involves meditation and other forms of behavioral-lifestyle modifications. In this study, we explored how neural plasticity occurs in WM structures in response to a relatively short retreat program.
Methods
We designed a longitudinal study that investigates WM neural plasticity over the course of Templestay. The Templestay group experienced the daily life of Buddhist practitioners, whereas the control group only participated in a retreat program at the same temple. Diffusion tensor imaging data were acquired before and after the Templestay program to investigate neural plasticity in the WM. We examined changes in the fractional anisotropy maps.
Results
We observed significant changes in the fractional anisotropy maps at the left superior longitudinal fasciculus, left posterior corona radiata, and splenium of the corpus callosum after 4 days of Templestay. Based on the results of our study, a 4-day meditation period in combination with behavioral-lifestyle modifications facilitates WM myelination in regions important for cognitive functions.
Conclusions
These results provide evidence of very rapid structural remodeling of the WM, suggesting that activity-dependent changes in myelination are induced by Templestay, a relatively understudied self-discipline program that includes behavioral-lifestyle modifications.
... However, most previous studies, which adopted meditation intervention for a few weeks, included possible limitations, such as isolation of the effects of meditation from other confounding factors or difficulty for subjects to regularly participate in the intervention. Therefore, recent studies have adopted several-day intensive residential meditation retreats designed to maximize training compliance and minimize the effects of non-meditative factors (Tang et al., 2007(Tang et al., , 2015Xue et al., 2011;Hwang et al., 2017). ...
... Despite the growing interest in meditation and the significant progress achieved in understanding the associated dynamic neural changes via meditation (Lazar et al., 2005;Tang et al., 2015Tang et al., , 2007Jang et al., 2011;Kang et al., 2012), only a few studies have focused on the maintenance of the effect. According to studies involving several months of follow-up after the intervention, both the meditation and active control groups exhibit improvements in stress-related psychological or physiological characteristics immediately after the intervention, but the effect is maintained only in the meditation group (Epel et al., 2016;Hwang et al., 2017). These findings suggest that meditation practices may induce changes in neural mechanisms to maintain the improvement, but the putative neural correlates underlying the maintenance of the effect have not yet been explored in neuroimaging studies. ...
... The brain imaging data were collected at two time points, baseline and immediately after the intervention, while self-report questionnaires were measured at three time points: baseline, immediate follow-up, and at a 3-month follow-up (Figure 1). The recruitment strategy, intervention program, and results from the self-report questionnaires were described thoroughly in a previous report (Hwang et al., 2017). A brief introduction to the materials is included in the Supplementary data and Supplementary Figure S1. ...
While recent studies have explored the maintenance of the effect of meditation on stress resilience, the underlying neural mechanisms have not yet been investigated. The present study conducted a highly controlled residential study of a 4-day meditation intervention to investigate the brain functional changes and long-term effects of meditation on mindfulness and resilience. Thirty participants in meditation practice and 17 participants in a relaxation retreat (control group) underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans at baseline and post-intervention and completed the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale (CAMS) and Resilience Quotient Test (RQT) at baseline, post-intervention, and the 3-month follow-up. All participants showed increased CAMS and RQT scores post-intervention, but only the meditation group sustained the enhancement after 3 months. Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the left rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), precuneus, and angular gyrus was significantly increased post-intervention in the meditation group compared with the relaxation group. The changes in rACC-dmPFC rsFC mediated the relationship between the changes in the CAMS and RQT scores and correlated with the changes in the RQT score both immediately and at 3 months post-intervention. Our findings suggest that increased rACC-dmPFC rsFC via meditation causes an immediate enhancement in resilience that is sustained. Since resilience is known to be associated with the preventative effect of various psychiatric disorders, the improvement in stress-related neural mechanisms may be beneficial to individuals at high clinical risk.
... They suggested that future studies should be conducted on young and vulnerable populations with longer follow-ups [34]. Other studies also confirmed the effect of the MBSR on participants' resilience in vulnerable groups [28,[35][36][37][38][39]. ...
... The findings supported the research hypothesis showing that resilience scores of the intervention group increased significantly at the posttest. Consistent with the current finding, previous studies reported higher posttest resilience scores in participants of the intervention group after and even during the follow-up stages of the MBSR intervention [32,36,37]. Numerous studies in Iran confirmed the effect of mindfulness-based interventions on the resilience of vulnerable populations, including the divorced mothers [35], patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [38], mothers of children with cancer [43], and war veterans [44]. ...
Background
Female sex workers and addicted women are among the vulnerable groups who impose high costs on the health system of every society. They are prone to psychological problems such as anxiety, stress, and reduced resilience due to their lifestyles. Since mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been applied frequently by many psychotherapists to treat stress and anxiety, the present study investigated the effectiveness of MBSR on resilience of the vulnerable women.
Methods
The statistical population of this quasi-experimental study consisted of all eligible women who referred to the drop-in centers in Kerman in the southeast of Iran. Followed by random sampling, 63 vulnerable women were randomly assigned into the intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 33) groups. The MBSR intervention was conducted for the intervention group in eight 90-min sessions. Demographic information questionnaire and Connor-Davidson resilience scale were administered to collect data prior to and one month after the MBSR intervention.
Results
The pre-test resilience score was not significantly different between the intervention (53.40 ± 10.49) and the control (54.5 ± 9.27) groups (t = 0.43, p = 0.66). However, the posttest resilience score in the intervention group (60.66 ± 6.71) was significantly higher than the control group (53.88 ± 7.54) (t = 3.58, P = 0.001). Moreover, a comparison between the pretest and posttest scores revealed a significant decrease in resilience scores of the control group (t = 2.81, p = 0.009).
Conclusion
Since MBSR intervention increased resilience of the vulnerable women in the intervention group, researchers, managers, counselors, community health nurses, and psychiatric nurses are suggested to implement related interventions to promote the health of women, especially vulnerable ones.
... For example, Sancho et al. (2018) in a systematic review considered mindfulness-based interventions effective in the treatment of substance and behavioral addictions and suggested that future research should focus on longer follow-ups, young and vulnerable populations [35]. Other studies also con rmed the effect of the MBSR on participants' resilience in vulnerable groups [32,[36][37][38][39][40]. ...
... Consistent with the current study, previous studies reported higher posttest resilience scores in participants of the intervention group. For example, Nila et al. in Germany [36], Hwang et al. [37] in Korea, and Galante et al. [45] reported the increased level of resilience in general populations and students of Cambridge University after the intervention and even in the follow-up stages. Numerous studies also in Iran con rmed the effect of mindfulness-based interventions on resilience of vulnerable populations, including the wives of veterans with amputations [38], patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [39], mothers of children with cancer [47] and war veterans [48]. ...
Background: Vulnerable women such as female sex workers and addicted women are among vulnerable groups affecting the social and mental health of societies. They are prone to psychological problems such as anxiety, stress and reduced resilience due to their lifestyles. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is among interventions that many psychotherapists use to treat stress and anxiety. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of MBSR on resilience of the vulnerable women.
Methods: The statistical population of this quasi-experimental study consisted of all eligible women referred to the drop-in centers in Kerman in the southeast of Iran. Sixty-three vulnerable women were randomly assigned into two groups of intervention (n=30) and control (n=33). The MBSR intervention was conducted for the intervention group in eight 90-minute sessions. Demographic characteristics questionnaire, and Connor-Davidson resilience scale were used to collect data before and one month after the MBSR intervention.
Results: The results showed that the pre-test score of resilience was not significantly different between the intervention (53.40 ± 10.49) and the control (54.5 ± 9.27) groups (t=0.43, p=0.66). The posttest score of resilience in the intervention group (60.66 ± 6.71) was significantly higher than that of the control group (53.88 ± 7.54) (t = 3.58, P = 0.001). Moreover, a comparison of the pretest and posttest scores revealed a significant decrease in resilience of the control group (t=2.81, p=0.009).
Conclusion: Since MBSR intervention increased resilience of the vulnerable women, researchers, managers, counselors, community health nurses and psychiatric nurses are suggested to consider such interventions to promote the health of women, especially vulnerable ones.
... Pidgeon, Ford, and Klaassen (2014) found that a retreatbased mindfulness with a Metta training program promoted resilience in human service professionals (Pidgeon et al., 2014). Moreover, Hwang et al. (2017) demonstrated the effectiveness of intensive mindfulness meditation training on resilience (Hwang et al., 2017). ...
... Pidgeon, Ford, and Klaassen (2014) found that a retreatbased mindfulness with a Metta training program promoted resilience in human service professionals (Pidgeon et al., 2014). Moreover, Hwang et al. (2017) demonstrated the effectiveness of intensive mindfulness meditation training on resilience (Hwang et al., 2017). ...
Aim:
To examine the reciprocal associations between empathy, resilience and work engagement, and to explore the mediating effect of resilience on the empathy and work engagement relationship among hemodialysis nurses in China.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. A convenience sampling was used to investigate 582 hemodialysis nurses in Chengdu, China. Structural equation modeling technique was conducted to analyze the mediating effect of resilience on the association between empathy and work engagement.
Results:
Empathy and resilience were direct, positive and significant predictors for work engagement. Empathy also had a direct, positive and significant predictive effect on resilience. Empathy indirectly and significantly affected work engagement via the partial mediating effect of resilience.
Conclusion:
Higher empathic ability may lead to greater work engagement by enhancing resilience. Attention should be paid to the development of empathic capacity and resilience to foster work engagement in hemodialysis nurses.
... Studies on the effectiveness of meditation for physical therapy students have shown significant results (Chambers et al., 2016;Kindel & Raforth, 2019). Many studies have shown the mental, spiritual, and psychological benefits of meditation, including stress reduction (Chambers et al., 2016;Hwang et al., 2018;Kindel & Raforth, 2019). Among these studies, Chambers et al. showed that meditation significantly reduced blood pressure and perceived stress based on subjective questionnaires among DPT stu-dents. ...
Introduction Students in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs experience immense stress due to the vigorous nature of graduate-level education. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to impact stress management and cognitive improvement. However, prior studies required in-person interventions and measurements. With the educational changes during the post-pandemic era, there is a need for a sustainable online program to help students with mindfulness practices. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a six-week sustainable online meditation program on the well-being of DPT students. Methods Thirty-two DPT students were included in this study with 16 assigned to the study and control group each. Students in both groups completed the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS) before and after the study. The study group completed twenty minutes of meditation on Zoom, three times a week, for six consecutive weeks. Results Following the RMANOVA, independent samples t-tests revealed that at post-test, study group participants had higher scores on emotional (p = 0.01), psychological (p = 0.03), and intellectual health (p = 0.03). Conclusion The result of this study was consistent with the previous studies on meditation. The current study findings suggest that integrating meditation may help DPT students improve their wellness and manage their stress more effectively.
... Kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui efektivitas program Day of Mindfulness dalam membantu peserta mengenali dan mencapai keseimbangan diri. Kegiatan Days of Mindfulness yang singkat namun intensif memiliki dampak jangka panjang dalam meningkatkan ketahanan dan perhatian (Hwang et al., 2018). Dengan menganalisis pengalaman dan persepsi peserta sebelum dan setelah mengikuti program, diharapkan dapat diperoleh pemahaman yang lebih mendalam tentang manfaat dan dampak dari praktik mindfulness dalam konteks komunitas di Vihara Tri Wira Bhakti. ...
Seiring dengan perkembangan zaman dan meningkatnya tuntutan hidup, banyak individu yang mengalami stres, kecemasan, dan ketidakseimbangan emosional. Hal ini disebabkan oleh berbagai faktor seperti tekanan kerja, masalah pribadi, dan perubahan sosial yang cepat. Program Day of Mindfulness di Vihara Tri Wira Bhakti, Kabupaten Way Kanan, dengan 24 peserta. Program ini bertujuan meningkatkan keseimbangan diri melalui latihan mindfulness. Pengukuran keberhasilan dilakukan menggunakan pre-test dan post-test. Peningkatan ini mengindikasikan efektivitas program dalam membantu peserta mengenali dan mencapai keseimbangan diri. Penelitian ini menegaskan pentingnya mindfulness dalam meningkatkan kesehatan mental dan emosional peserta.
... This is particularly relevant in the context of education, where mindfulness practices can assist teachers in building resilience and reducing burnout (63) . Additionally, a study found that a four-day intensive mindfulness meditation training resulted in significant increases in resilience (64). ...
Introduction: The latest researches concerning the effect of the meditation on the well-being show the increased number of meditation proponents due to its benefits to the mental resilience, stress management and also general health. Meditation is increasingly recognized globally for promoting overall well-being. Purpose: This study investigates impact of meditation on mental and physical well-being. It aims at understanding the mechanisms behind the improvements of health, giving special emphasis on its use as a treatment tool and a prevention measure. State of Knowledge: Meditation is validated in terms of the amount of data proving its positive effects on psychological and physical health. Ranging from stress reduction to immune system modulation, cognitive enhancements, and cardiovascular benefits, meditation turns out to be a wide applicability tool. Mediation perception factors such as cultural and social aspects are contrasted, stressing the important of research on its original Buddhist context. Meditation, due to cultural differences, still is a controversial in many areas, especially in social work. Summary: Meditation is a diverse tool for the promotion of the whole person well-being including stress reduction, immunity modulation, enhancement in cognition and cardiovascular health. It is crucial for building resilience, an important part of preventive and clinical psychology, and the medically oriented stress management. Noticing the role of culture, meditation is a significant aid to the improvement of personal, educator, and healthcare provider well-being. Meditation is a versatile tool that can be integrated into various practices, enhancing the overall well-being and life-coping skills of individuals and professionals alike.
... Loving-kindness meditation helped to promote resilience among employees in the United Kingdom (Ivtzan and Quirk, 2018); the same results repeated for resilience among the undergraduate students of Stanford University after practicing loving-kindness for just 10 min (Seppala et al., 2014). Even short but intensive meditation training contributes to improving resilience among practitioners for long periods (Hwang et al., 2018). Online modules of various types of meditative practices generated significant acute improvements in the resilience of practitioners (Kemper and Khirallah, 2015;Pandya, 2019;Pandya, 2020). ...
A BSTRACT
Context
Rising stress levels among students in the current era of cutthroat competition are a cause of concern, and one of the major reasons for this rising stress is to excel in academics. Academic stress negatively impacts the lives of students, which raises an utmost need to control this stress among students. With a decrease in stress, there is also a necessity to make them able to bear stress up to some extent, i.e. to make them resilient. Meditative practices are considered effective in reducing stress among students, and these also led to improvements in resilience among practitioners. These studies served as a base for executing meditative practices as an intervention for the current study.
Aims
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of meditative practices on the academic stress and resilience of ninth-graders.
Settings and Design
A nonequivalent pretest–posttest control group design was used. The school was chosen using purposive sampling, and the experiment was conducted on ninth-class students; the intact sections of the class were randomly assigned as the experimental and control groups for the purpose.
Materials and Methods
The Academic Stress Scale by Chavhan and the Resilience Scale by Kaur were administered for the assessment of academic stress and resilience.
Statistical Analysis Used
The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the gain scores of the experimental and control groups for academic stress and resilience. The rank biserial correlation was done to calculate the effect sizes.
Results
Academic stress was significantly decreased in the intervention group compared to the control group at the time of the posttest; however, no significant improvements were observed on the scale of resilience among the students of the intervention group compared to the control group at the time of the posttest.
Conclusions
Meditative practices can be appraised as a valuable tool for the reduction of academic stress among students and that does not cost a penny. More intensive and long practices may be needed for the improvement of resilience among ninth-class students.
... As evident from advances in research in mindfulness-based meditations and therapies, contemporary psychology often revisits Eastern concepts and philosophies in search of new ways to live better lives (Atwood & Maltin, 1991;Fjorback et al., 2011). Modern psychotherapies derived from Zen Buddhism have long shown that even a simple practice of mindful meditation can provide immense benefits such as resilience to stress (Hwang et al., 2018), helping with symptoms of depression and anxiety (Baer, 2003), as well as reducing chronic pain (Zeidan & Vago, 2016). Self-compassion, which was also derived from the Buddhist concept of being open and kind toward the self (Neff, 2003), has been used worldwide in clinical interventions (e.g., Germer & Neff, 2013;Albertson et al., 2015). ...
The Time Perception Scale (Niiya, 2019, Journal of Happiness Studies ) measures people's perception of time as zero‐sum (i.e., the perception that they are taking time away from others, that they are offering time to others, or that others are taking away time from them) and nonzero‐sum (i.e., the perception that time spent on others is time spent on themselves). This scale was validated in Japan, but whether people from a non‐Asian culture also perceive time as nonzero‐sum remained unknown. We tested the measurement invariance of the Time Perception Scale with 189 Americans and 240 Japanese and examined its correlations with psychological well‐being and cultural self‐construals. We confirmed the configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance of the scale and also found that zero‐sum and nonzero‐sum time perceptions were differently associated with basic needs satisfaction, life satisfaction, and interdependent self‐construal in both cultures. Nonzero‐sum time perception may provide a new possibility where a concept derived from East Asian philosophy can contribute to our psychological well‐being.
... One cost-effective way to address these widespread mental health symptoms is the use of mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness and meditation have been consistently demonstrated as effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and even chronic pain (Ball et al., 2017;Dunning et al., 2018;Hofmann et al., 2010;Hwang et al., 2018;Rod, 2016). Mindfulness and meditation are effective as both adjunctive treatments (Marchand, 2013) and standalone interventions (Blanck et al., 2018) for individuals living with mental illness. ...
Research indicates that mindfulness and meditation are effective and inexpensive ways of reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. People first search for information on the internet. However, the public’s access to clear health information online is occluded by variability in accessibility of this information. This study examined the accessibility of mediation and mindfulness information online; both keywords were investigated as they are often used interchangeably. The final sample (N = 136) included 76 websites from the search term “mindfulness” and 60 from the keyword “meditation.” Sites were evaluated using a codebook based on the Federal Plain Language Guidelines, a policy developed to provide advice on clear communication in writing government documents for the public. Evaluation occurred in three major domains: web page format, clear and concise language, and multimedia. Out of 14 possible categories, the mean adherence for websites obtained with the keyword “mindfulness” was 9.09 (SD = 1.71) and “meditation” was 9.23 (SD = 1.65), yielding a combined overall adherence mean of 9.15 (SD = 1.67). Overall, results indicate that about two-thirds of the Federal Plain Language Guidelines were adhered to in the sample. Future directions include evaluating the accuracy of the information provided, exploring differential accessibility needs of written materials based on format, and assessing the interaction between the written materials and human factors. Policy implications include the clarification of the ADA to include online public spaces, particularly those with health-related information.
... Auch der positive Effekt von Entspannung auf Resilienz konnte bereits empirisch bestätigt werden. Dabei zeigen sich sowohl allgemeine Entspannungsphasen als auch achtsamkeitsbasierte Übungen als resilienzförderlich (Hwang et al., 2018). Achtsamkeit kann zum Beispiel in Form von kleinen Meditationsübungen während der Pausenzeiten in den Arbeitsalltag integriert werden. ...
... Además, en contextos cambiantes, los recursos psicológicos que se relacionan positivamente con el mindfulness son: la resiliencia (Hwang et al., 2018), la autoeficacia, el optimismo y la esperanza (Charoensukmongkol & Suthatorn, 2018;Malinowski & Lim, 2015). Recursos que, en su conjunto, constituyen el capital psicológico, definido por Luthans & Youssef-Morgan (2017) como un estado de desarrollo psicológico caracterizado por la confianza para cumplir demandas desafiantes (autoeficacia), contemplar el ahora y el futuro desde una atribución positiva (optimismo), la capacidad de agencia y reorientación de los logros y creencias (esperanza), y sobreponerse a la adversidad y aprender de ella (resiliencia). ...
El presente capítulo abarca el estado del arte frente a los instrumentos existentes que miden la agresión, ira y violencia; debido al impacto social de la agresión, la ira y la violencia en la sociedad, diversas disciplinas como la psicología, la genética, la sociología, la criminología, la neurología, la filosofía, entre otras, estudian cómo poder explicarlas y predecirlas. A partir de la lectura de texto completo y considerando los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, se seleccionaron N=115 artículos por relevancia temática a través del método PRISMA. Se encontró que los instrumentos más utilizados son el Cuestionario de agresión de Buss y Perry, Cuestionario de agresión reactiva y proactiva-RPQ, STAXI-2, Conflict Tactics Scale y herramientas cualitativas como entrevistas y grupos focales. Los principales hallazgos demuestran que la violencia, la agresión o la ira no se evalúan como constructos unificados, sino que se encuentran conformados por diferentes componentes. Cabe resaltar que el empleo de instrumentos de medición de otros constructos que se relacionan con la violencia, ira y agresión también aportan teóricamente, lo que posibilita que los programas de intervención puedan estar mejor guiados y orientados dependiendo de su especificidad. Por otro lado, se sugieren directrices a la hora de establecer programas de prevención, como por ejemplo en el caso de violencia de pareja íntima, violencia de género o violencia doméstica, es posible modificar el sistema de valores y representaciones sociales acerca de su rol social.
... Además, en contextos cambiantes, los recursos psicológicos que se relacionan positivamente con el mindfulness son: la resiliencia (Hwang et al., 2018), la autoeficacia, el optimismo y la esperanza (Charoensukmongkol & Suthatorn, 2018;Malinowski & Lim, 2015). Recursos que, en su conjunto, constituyen el capital psicológico, definido por Luthans & Youssef-Morgan (2017) como un estado de desarrollo psicológico caracterizado por la confianza para cumplir demandas desafiantes (autoeficacia), contemplar el ahora y el futuro desde una atribución positiva (optimismo), la capacidad de agencia y reorientación de los logros y creencias (esperanza), y sobreponerse a la adversidad y aprender de ella (resiliencia). ...
El presente capítulo abarca el estado del arte frente a los instrumentos existentes que miden la agresión, ira y violencia; debido al impacto social de la agresión, la ira y la violencia en la sociedad, diversas disciplinas como la psicología, la genética, la sociología, la criminología, la neurología, la filosofía, entre otras, estudian cómo poder explicarlas y predecirlas. A partir de la lectura de texto completo y considerando los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, se seleccionaron N=115 artículos por relevancia temática a través del método PRISMA. Se encontró que los instrumentos más utilizados son el Cuestionario de agresión de Buss y Perry, Cuestionario de agresión reactiva y proactiva-RPQ, STAXI-2, Conflict Tactics Scale y herramientas cualitativas como entrevistas y grupos focales. Los principales hallazgos demuestran que la violencia, la agresión o la ira no se evalúan como constructos unificados, sino que se encuentran conformados por diferentes componentes. Cabe resaltar que el empleo de instrumentos de medición de otros constructos que se relacionan con la violencia, ira y agresión también aportan teóricamente, lo que posibilita que los programas de intervención puedan estar mejor guiados y orientados dependiendo de su especificidad. Por otro lado, se sugieren directrices a la hora de establecer programas de prevención, como por ejemplo en el caso de violencia de pareja íntima, violencia de género o violencia doméstica, es posible modificar el sistema de valores y representaciones sociales acerca de su rol social.
... With the global aging of the general population, the implications for women's health and nursing are to address the health care needs and preventive service challenges for the increasing numbers of older women (Tabloski, 2004). There is promising evidence in empirical literature that intervention strategies can improve resilience (Hwang et al., 2018;Li et al., 2017;Liu, 2018;Tunariu et al., 2017). Interventions designed to improve resilience may facilitate reductions in perceived stress (Sarrionandia et al., 2018). ...
... In addition, we found a strong relationship between resilience and well-being as seen in Table 3. This aligns with the S-ART model and previous research on the positive effect contemplative practices have on resilience and well-being, as well as the current literature calling for meditation and mindfulness during times of crisis [36,42,[57][58][59][60]. ...
The aim of this study was to explore the association between resilience and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults. We used a sequential explanatory mixed methods study design to recruit older adults who spoke English and were 60 and above during the pandemic. Survey data investigated older adults’ resilience, post-traumatic growth, well-being, and demographics. Extreme case purposeful sampling of their resilience score was used to select interviewees. Qualitative data sought to understand the relationship between resilience and how older adults responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploring the relationship between resilience (well-being in the face of challenge) and one’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that participants categorized as having high resilience had long held behaviors of contemplative practices that helped them effectively adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to face global challenges, we must redefine care, guide interventions, and promote healthy aging by incorporating contemplative practices into the lives of older adults.
... Secondly, it dampens the stressreactivity pathway (in brain regions such as the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex) (Creswell and Lindsay, 2014;Creswell et al., 2019). The primary psychological mechanisms which mindfulness impacts is reactivity to repetitive thoughts, enhancing emotion regulation skills, fostering positive coping strategies (e.g., positive reappraisal) and increased resilience (Teasdale et al., 1995;Epel et al., 2009;Feldman et al., 2010;Hanley et al., 2015;Bamber and Kraenzle Schneider, 2016;Galante et al., 2018;Hwang et al., 2018). Mindfulness has demonstrated decreases in stress and improvements in wellbeing as a result of the biological and psychological pathways that it impacts. ...
The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in randomised-controlled trials and large experimental studies has been demonstrated in university student populations. Whilst these investigations have provided insight into the nature of the delivery of mindfulness-based practices, there has been little research in the implementation of self-managed online student wellbeing and mindfulness programs at university. This ecological validation study conducted in 2020 evaluated a real-world implementation of a large, university-wide, online mindfulness-based program that was accessible fully online via the tertiary institutions’ Learning Management System (LMS) student orientation site. The total sample included 833 participants from a range of disciplines and faculties at Monash University, Australia. At the end of the study, 236 (28.3%) participants were retained and completed the follow-up survey. Participants had the option to engage with the fully self-managed online mindfulness program for a 12-week semester. The mindfulness practices were pre-recorded, audio-guided sessions, and 10–15 min in length. Baseline and end of semester questionnaires included the 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, 10-item Perceived Stress Scale and the 18-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Participants who engaged with the mindfulness program over 3 or more weeks showed significant improvements in all three outcome measures, and all participants showed significant improvements in wellbeing at the end of semester. Learning analytics obtained via the LMS revealed that 58.6% (n = 489) had not logged into the mindfulness program at all, almost a third (31.0%, n = 259) logged into the program materials once or twice, and 10.2% (n = 85) of the whole sample engaged with the program actively, having logged in three or more times. The total number of student logins peaked in week 2, reduced between week 2 and week 7 and thereafter activity remained stable until the end of the semester. We hypothesise that the changes in wellbeing, stress and mindfulness at the end of the semester seen in the low engagement participants may partly be explained by the circumstances of COVID-19 restrictions improving. This study has revealed and discusses the complexities of student behaviour and implications for implementing an online mindfulness program in the real- world setting of a university.
... [39] There is also evidence of it providing increased resilience to stress over longer periods of time compared to other relaxation techniques. [40] Stress, besides being a symptom in itself, produces a wide array of psychosomatic symptoms the relief from which is a crucial component of the treatment of a multitude of diseases. The various modalities of meditation have proven effective in reducing stress linked symptomatology in cancer patients by serving as mood stabilizers. ...
Meditation is increasingly being used to promote general health, to treat stress and stress-related conditions, and is also beginning to find its feet in cognitive therapeutics. This article intends to evaluate its impacts on stress and cognitive function, aiming to augment the understanding of the mechanisms and subsequent implications for individual health. A multistep approach was used for the purpose of selection of articles, which was based on shortlisting of titles, then abstracts and further full texts. Subject to selection criteria, keywords "Meditation," "stress," "cognition," "reducing," "health," and "effectiveness" were used to search online databases and conduct hand searches. The results indicated a stress-lowering effect by neural, endocrine, and humoral changes, evidenced by multiple parameters such as heart rate variability, blood pressure, galvanic skin response, salivary cortisol, and cytokines, and a psychological improvement in emotional regulation and perseverative cognition, with clinical implications in daily life and clinical settings such as hypertension, cancer stress, chronic pain, posttraumatic stress disorder, glaucoma, and anxiety disorders. The positive effect on cognition occurs through mechanisms such as altered regional blood flow, brain remodeling, functionally altered connections, and reduced emotional vulnerability. Increased secondary organization of thoughts is noted with implications in student settings, work output, neurodegenerative disorders, learning disorders, and attention deficit disorders. Meditation thus potentially offers a modality which could boost all aspects of health in a cost-effective, low time-consuming manner to a wide spectrum of individuals. While the evidence thus far is constructive, further studies with larger samples, stronger study designs, and offering more conclusive evidence are required.
... Through this attitude, participants might have become increasingly more aware of their ever-changing prakriti related concerns and nurture their resilience by dis-identifying and creating distance from them. In addition, improvements in self-reported measures of resilience have been found following Hatha yoga (Karmalkar et al., 2017), mindfulness (Hwang et al., 2018), and positive psychology interventions (Smith & Hanni, 2019). ...
This qualitative study was conducted with participants from a previous investigation that explored the applicability and perceived impact of a program based on yoga, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and positive psychology, to enhance student musicians' health and well-being during the lockdown. This program is named CRAFT, the acronym of which stands for the following Spanish terms that constitute its 5 elements: Consciencia, Relajación, Atención, Felicidad, and Transcendencia. The current study aimed to gain a greater understanding of participants’ CRAFT-based practice implementation experience and their perceived benefits derived from it during the lockdown. Participants were higher education student musicians (n = 26) attending CRAFT-based elective subjects of Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence, once a week for 1 hr throughout the academic year 2019/2020; at a Royal Conservatory of Music in Spain. Participants' responses to an open-ended question were content analyzed following a deductive approach guided by the framework of the 5 CRAFT elements. The content analysis revealed 6 overarching themes, 1 for each CRAFT element and an additional 1 labeled “other.” Participants' perceived benefits aligned with the 5 CRAFT elements and included developments such as enhanced conscious awareness, emotional self-regulation, psychological distress, mind clearance, relaxation, concentration, wellness, vitality, hope, transforming attitudes, equanimity, positivity, and resilience. These findings suggest that curricular exposure with the CRAFT program was beneficial among higher education student musicians to cope with their health and well-being lockdown demands, having thus relevant implications in both higher education and clinical settings for health and well-being promotion, support, and prevention during stressful pandemic times.
... Within this context, our findings can also be used to inform the design of wide community-based interventions designed to promote resilience, build hope and reduce anxiety, which may help mitigate depression associated with exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, online [87,88] or inperson [89][90][91] mindfulness-based interventions may offer a flexible as well as an effective approach to reduce anxiety and depression levels, while other forms of online supports such as virtual support groups [92] and self-administered web-based interventions [93] may also facilitate wider access and promote psychological well-being. ...
International evidence published so far shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted on global mental health. Specifically, there is some research suggesting that the psychological distress related to depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress has impacted on the psychological well-being of the general population. Yet, there is limited evidence on the relational paths between COVID-19 traumatic distress and depression. Participants of this cross-sectional study were 456 adults 18 years old or older from the general population (Mean age = 41.2 years, SD = 11.7) who completed an online questionnaire including measures assessing depression, anxiety, resilience, hope and traumatic distress related to COVID-19. Structural equation modelling was applied to examine the proposed mediation model. The results confirmed the proposed model, with traumatic distress of COVID-19, resilience, anxiety and hope explaining a considerable amount of variance (59%) in depression scores. Traumatic distress of COVID-19 was a strong positive predictor of depression, while anxiety, hope and resilience were both joint and unique mediators of this relationship. Exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic is strongly associated with depression in adults of the general population. The co-occurrence of anxiety may negatively contribute to experiencing higher levels of depression, while resilience and hope may act as buffers against depression associated with the impact of this pandemic. Our findings suggest that wide community-based interventions designed to promote resilience, build hope and reduce anxiety may help mitigate depression associated with exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic.
... Mind-body therapies, such as the tai chi 62 and meditation 63 intervention studies in this review, may enhance resilience through the cultivation of mindfulness, which is known as bringing focused attention to the present. 64 Studies of mindbody therapies in healthy adults have demonstrated improvements in both resilience and mindfulness, [65][66][67] and mindfulness was one of five individual-level resilience resources in an empirically derived resilience model. 21 While we report the findings based on the main focus of each study, interactions between psychological, social/cultural, behavioural, and biological variables most certainly inform individual resilience. ...
Aims
The aim of this systematic review of the literature is to synthesize the evidence regarding the associations between individual-level psychological, social/cultural, behavioral, and biological variables with resilience in patients with CVD.
Methods and results
A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL was conducted from database inception through March 2020. Studies with a quantitative research design were eligible for inclusion if published in English and focused on resilience among adults with CVD. Of the 788 articles retrieved, 34 studies (35 articles) were included in the review. Twenty-three studies focused on psychological factors, with findings of inverse relationships between resilience and depression, anxiety, and stress. Evidence regarding associations between resilience and social/cultural or behavioral variables was scarce. Four of the 6 studies regarding biological factors found low stress resilience in young adulthood was associated with early diagnoses of stroke, heart failure, and coronary heart disease.
Conclusion
Enhancing resilience may improve quality of life for CVD patients, but research is needed to further explore the complex relationships between resilience and associated variables. This research should prioritize under-represented groups (i.e. women and minority racial/ethnic groups), with the eventual goal of developing interventions to support resilience in CVD patients.
... With the global aging of the general population, the implications for women's health and nursing are to address the health care needs and preventive service challenges for the increasing numbers of older women [23]. There is promising evidence in empirical literature that intervention strategies can improve resilience [31,[57][58][59]. Interventions designed to improve resilience may facilitate reductions in perceived stress [60]. ...
Cardiovascular disease is a global public health problem and leading cause of death. Stress is a modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factor. The objectives of this study were to examine whether stress was a predictor of resilience among rural younger women and to explore whether social support mediated the relationship between acute stress and resilience and between chronic stress and resilience. The study had a cross-sectional, descriptive design. A total of 354 women were randomly recruited in the rural, southeastern United States. Survey instruments were used to collect data about acute stress, chronic stress, social support, and resilience. A structural equation model was fit to test whether social support mediated the relationship between perceived stress and resilience and between chronic stress and resilience. Chronic stress predicted family and belongingness support and all the resilience subscales: adaptability, emotion regulation, optimism, self-efficacy, and social support. Acute stress predicted the self-efficacy subscale of resilience. Family support partially mediated the relationship between chronic stress and self-efficacy. Belongingness support partially mediated the relationships between chronic stress and the social support subscale of resilience.
... Similarly, short-term intensive meditation was found to have positive effects on resilience, which is known to have prophylactic capabilities on psychiatric disorders (Kwak et al., 2019). Positive effects of this kind could be paving the path for future therapeutic strategies, for example, in depression and anxiety disorders (Hwang et al., 2017). ...
Introduction: Various functional neuroimaging studies help to better understand the changes in brain activity during meditation. The purpose of this study was to investigate how brain energy metabolism changes during focused attention meditation (FAM) state, measured by phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (³¹P-MRS).
Methods: ³¹P-MRS imaging was carried out in 27 participants after 7 weeks of FAM training. Metabolite ratios and the absolute values of metabolites were assessed after meditation training in two MRI measurements, by comparing effects in a FAM state with those in a distinct focused attention awake state during a backwards counting task.
Results: The results showed decreased phosphocreatine/ATP (PCr/ATP), PCr/ inorganic phosphate (Pi), and intracellular pH values in the entire brain, but especially in basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and occipital lobes, and increased Pi/ATP ratio, cerebral Mg, and Pi absolute values were found in the same areas during FAM compared to the control focused attention awake state.
Conclusions: Changes in the temporal areas and basal ganglia may be interpreted as a higher energetic state induced by meditation, whereas the frontal and occipital areas showed changes that may be related to a down-regulation in ATP turnover, energy state, and oxidative capacity.
... Smith et al. (2008) observed that resilience is linked to lower anxiety, negative affect, depression, and perceived stress, as well as greater optimism, positive affect, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Empirical research has also demonstrated that mindfulness training can promote both mindfulness and resilience (Hwang et al., 2018). ...
Objectives
According to the broaden-and-build theory, cultivating positive emotions can build personal resources that help individuals cope with stressors. Recent research suggests that dispositional mindfulness can promote an upward spiral of positive emotions. Mindfulness may also interrupt the downward spiral of negative emotions. Despite considerable research on mindfulness and stress, it remains unclear which facets of mindfulness drive this relationship. As such, we aimed to explore which facets of mindfulness predicted stress and to investigate the potential mediating role of affect and resilience. Extending an existing model of mindfulness in the workplace, we examined both positive and negative affect.
Methods
As part of a larger study testing a workplace mindfulness intervention, 193 full-time employees at a Fortune 100 company in the USA completed self-report measures of trait mindfulness, affect, resilience, and perceived stress.
Results
Structural equation modelling was conducted to compare competing models. For mindfulness, non-reacting and non-judging significantly predicted stress. Contrary to hypotheses, resilience did not predict stress in the final model. Negative affect was the most robust predictor of stress.
Conclusions
Mindfulness may indirectly reduce stress by decreasing experiences of negative affect. Increased positive affect played less of a role in stress reduction. Interpreted through the lens of the broaden-and-build theory, mindfulness may help break the negative spiral by encouraging decentering (i.e., non-judging) and by reducing emotional reactivity to stressors (i.e., non-reacting).
... For instance, scholars have indicated that mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions help individuals to better regulate their emotions and improve their coping ability in stressful situations (e.g., Bamber & Schneider, 2020;Pillay & Eagle, 2019). Similarly, Hwang et al. (2018) have shown that an intensive mindfulness mediation training program (e.g., Templestay program) contributes to fostering individuals' resilience and reducing stress through better regulation of emotions. Another way would be to rely on specific resilience-building programs. ...
Building upon social exchange theory and personality models, this study aimed to examine why and to what extent experiencing customer incivility leads employees to engage in emotional deviance. More precisely, we argued that negative emotions would act as a mediator in this relationship and that employees’ resilience would moderate this mediation. A total of 419 frontline employees participated in this study. Using the latent moderated structural equations method, this research showed that negative emotions mediated the relationship between customer incivility and emotional deviance. Moreover, as expected, employees’ resilience moderated the indirect effect of customer incivility on emotional deviance through negative emotions. More specifically, the indirect effect emerged as weaker for resilient as compared to non-resilient individuals. Overall, this study offers several practical implications for managers and organizations. Specifically, it proposes that managers and organizations should offer training programs to improve stress management and emotion regulation, such as relaxation, mindfulness techniques, and resilience-building programs.
... Given these data, future studies should examine whether interventions fostering resilience to CP also increase GMV in identified clusters. For example, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), designed to bolster awareness of current experience and a non-judgmental stance towards one's experience, can increase resilience and lower distress (Hwang et al., 2018;Tabibnia, 2020). Engagement in meditation or yoga also has positive associations with GMV in several regions identified in this study (i.e., precuneus, SPL, right SFG), at least in nonclinical groups (Villemure et al., 2015;Babu, et al., 2020). ...
Resilience, a personality construct that reflects capacities to persevere, maintain a positive outlook and/or thrive despite ongoing stressors, has emerged as an important focus of research on chronic pain (CP). Although behavior studies have found more resilient persons with CP experience less pain-related dysfunction than less resilient cohorts do, the presence and nature of associated brain structure differences has received scant attention. To address this gap, we examined gray matter volume (GMV) differences between more versus less resilient adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Participants (75 women, 43 men) were community-dwellers who reported ongoing musculoskeletal pain for at least three months. More (n = 57) and less (n = 61) resilient subgroups, respectively, were identified on the basis of scoring above and below median scores on two validated resilience questionnaires. Voxel-based morphology (VBM) undertaken to examine resilience subgroup differences in GMV indicated more resilient participants displayed significantly larger GMV in the (1) bilateral precuneus, (2) left superior and inferior parietal lobules, (3) orbital right middle frontal gyrus and medial right superior frontal gyrus, and (4) bilateral median cingulate and paracingulate gyri, even after controlling for subgroup differences on demographics and measures of pain-related distress. Together, results underscored the presence and nature of specific GMV differences underlying subjective reports of more versus less resilient responses to ongoing musculoskeletal pain.
... Therefore, interoceptive awareness has direct bearing on resilience as it is implicated in adaptive behaviour (Perchtold et al. 2019). Conversely, abnormal body perception is implicated in depression (Wiebking et al. 2010) and low body awareness has been associated with low resilience (Haase et al. 2016), with body awareness interventions successfully found to foster resilience (Hwang et al. 2018;Kwak et al. 2019). ...
Defined as the successful adaptation to dynamic environments, resilience is considered a cornerstone of mental health. However, with the underpinnings of resilience not yet fully understood, this manuscript tests the potential contribution of self-efficacy and embeddedness on resilience (explored through validated measures of future time perspective, body awareness, and social connectedness). The convenience sample of 18-to-77-year-old adults included 297 individuals, of which 36 were men and 171 were female. Participants completed online surveys composed of fifty-two questions in total, measuring self-efficacy, resilience, social connectedness, FTP, and body awareness. Resilience was positively related to self-efficacy, future time perspective, and social connectedness—but not to body awareness—and self-efficacy was positively associated with indices of embeddedness. Considering these correlations, and that only self-efficacy significantly predicted resilience, an exploratory model was proposed to test whether embeddedness directly predicted self-efficacy, and whether self-efficacy directly predicted resilience. Structural Equation Modelling suggested a good fit of this model, elucidating the interplay of psychological mechanisms underlying resilience. Thus, we identify potential variables of interest for clinical interventions aimed at increasing resilience and self-efficacy. Theoretical implications and future research are suggested based on these findings.
... There is some debate; however, a strong body of evidence exists to support the notion that resilience (and thus coping) can be increased through intervention. This seems true especially if (a) meditation-mindfulness (Hwang et al., 2018) is paired with (b) movement (Southwick et al., 2005) and (c) social support (H. Zhang et al., 2017). ...
Purpose
This viewpoint offers a perspective on the potential impact of an adapted yoga program for people with stroke-induced aphasia, with a call for additional work in this area.
Conclusion
Aphasia often results in decreased quality of life (QoL) from fewer social interactions, relationship strain between survivors and co-survivors, depression, and a multitude of other factors. We suggest a therapeutic yoga program for survivors and co-survivors could enhance several components of the dyad's lives that are frequently diminished as a result of aphasia, ultimately increasing QoL. In particular, we highlight the role of resilience and coping as essential tools on the rehabilitative journey in aphasia. After exploring yoga and other mind–body practices, we describe documented positive changes—including cognitive function, social integration, and QoL—following use of yoga in other chronic conditions. As people with communication deficits are typically excluded from these studies, further research is needed to establish whether these benefits generalize to people with aphasia.
... 26 It has a sufficient theoretical basis, has been widely used by foreign scholars to ease the pressure, emotional management, and clinical adaptation of the disease, and has achieved good results. 27,28 The study reported that mindfulness might be beneficial to nursing students to handle stress since it was negatively related to anxiety, depression, and stress. 17,29 However, the studies that MM is applied to nursing students are few, and the effects of MM on them are less well known. ...
Objective
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation (MM) on anxiety, depression, stress and mindfulness in nursing students.
Methods
A comprehensive search and screening procedures were conducted to locate all MM interventions implemented with nursing students. For randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in accordance with the inclusion criteria, a search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), China Biology Medicine (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang. Databases were retrieved from inception through August 2018. Additional studies were identified through hand searches and Internet searches. Two reviewers collected relevant data of eligible articles according to the data extraction tables. Based on Cochrane Handbook , critical appraisal of the methodological quality was assessed by two other reviewers. An Excel form was used to extract main characteristics of included RCTs. Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were carried out using software RevMan 5.3 and TSA 0.9.
Results
Five RCTs with 257 nursing students were included. Only two studies were assessed as high quality and three studies were evaluated as moderate quality. Meta-analysis showed that, comparing with the control group, MM could significantly improve anxiety (SMD = −0.45, 95% CI −0.73 to −0.17, P = 0.001) and stress (SMD = −0.69, 95% CI −0.97 to −0.40, P < 0.001). TSA results confirmed that the outcome of the merger is credible. It could also significantly improve depression level of nursing students after 8 weeks intervention duration (SMD = −0.70, 95% CI −1.14 to −0.26, P = 0.002). However, there was no beneficial effect on depression level of nursing students with 1 week intervention duration (SMD = 0.09, 95% CI −0.42 to 0.59, P = 0.74) and its effects on mindfulness level of nursing students also did not show statistical significance (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI −0.04 to 0.77, P = 0.07). No definitive conclusions were drawn from the TSA.
Conclusions
The results of this meta-analysis indicated that MM could effectively reduce the level of anxiety and stress of nursing students. TSA confirmed that the results of meta-analysis are credible. For depression, it could also significantly improve depression of nursing students with 8 weeks intervention, but there was no significant effect on nursing students with 1 week intervention duration. There was also no beneficial effect on mindfulness level of nursing students. However, TSA indicated that the accumulated evidence is still inconclusive. We suggest that more well-designed clinical trials with large sample and higher quality would be required in future to draw a definitive conclusion.
... Conversely, abnormal body perception is implicated in depression (Wiebking et al., 2010). Low body awareness has been associated with low resilience (Haase et al., 2016) and body awareness interventions have successfully been used to foster resilience (Hwang et al., 2018;Kwak et al., 2019). ...
Background: Defined as successful adaptation to a changing environment, resilience is the cornerstone of good mental health. However, its underpinnings are not fully understood. Objective: To explore the underlying mechanisms of resilience by examining its association with self-efficacy and embeddedness. Methodology: A heterogeneous sample (n=202) of males (n=36) and females (n=171), aged between 18 and 77 years (M age = 38.10, SD = 13.11) completed the following scales: resilience, self-efficacy, future time perspective, body awareness, and social connectedness. Correlational and moderation analyses were run. Findings: Resilience was positively related to self-efficacy, FTP and social connectedness but not to body awareness. Embeddedness had no moderating effect on the relationship between self-efficacy and resilience. Body awareness had a positive relationship with self-efficacy but not with resilience. Implications: This study's findings suggest self-efficacy, social connectedness and future time perspective are implicated in resilience and also suggest a role for body awareness in self-efficacy. Results support the implication of temporal impairment and a lack of social connectedness in mental illness. Findings also elucidate the interplay of psychological mechanisms underlying resilience, thereby identifying variables of potential interest for clinical interventions to increase resilience and self-efficacy. Future research is suggested based on these findings.
... populations with other chronic illnesses [13][14][15] decrease symptoms of depression, 16 regulate immune responses, 17 and promote resilience. 18 Mind-body practices, a varied group of techniques used to enhance health and well-being, are typically administered by trained practitioners. Mind-body practices, including meditation, yoga, and tai chi, which derive from ancient traditions, have been found to enhance awareness of the bidirectional connection between the mind and the body. ...
Background and Purpose—
Psychological stressors, including poststroke depression, poststroke anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, are highly prevalent in stroke survivors. These symptoms exact a significant toll on stroke survivors. Clinical and research efforts in stroke recovery focus on motor disability, speech and language deficits, and cognitive dysfunction while largely neglecting psychological stressors. Evidence suggests mind-body interventions in other chronic illness populations decrease symptoms of depression, regulate immune responses, and promote resilience, yet similar studies are lacking in stroke populations. This review aims to synthesize evidence of the effects of mind-body interventions on psychological stressors, quality of life, and biological outcomes for stroke survivors.
Methods—
A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL was conducted from database inception to November 2017.
Results—
Eight studies were included in the review, with a total of 292 participants. Mind-body interventions included yoga or tai chi. Of the 5 included randomized controlled trials, most were pilot or feasibility studies with small sample sizes. Psychological stressors, including poststroke depression and anxiety, along with the quality of life, improved over time, but statistically significant between-group differences were largely absent. The 3 included studies with a qualitative design reported themes reflecting improvement in psychological stressors and quality of life. No included studies reported biological outcomes.
Conclusions—
Studies of mind-body interventions suggest a possible benefit on psychological stressors and quality of life; however, rigorously designed, sufficiently powered randomized controlled trials with mixed-methods design are warranted to delineate specific treatment effects of these interventions. Studies with both biological and psychological stressors as outcomes would provide evidence about interaction effects of these factors on stroke-survivor responses to mind-body interventions.
... Improvements in resilience in humans have been reported as a result of psychological and cognitive therapies, such as child caregiver advocacy resilience (Li et al., 2017), a life skills education-based program (Sarkar et al., 2017), the iNEAR programme (Tunariu et al., 2017), intensive mindfulness meditation training (Hwang et al., 2018) and stress inoculation training (Horn et al., 2016). Although all the above achieved good outcomes, the same method may have different therapeutic effects in different individuals. ...
The term “resilience” refers to the ability to adapt successfully to stress, trauma and adversity, enabling individuals to avoid stress-induced mental disorders such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. Here, we review evidence from both animal models and humans that is increasingly revealing the neurophysiological and neuropsychological mechanisms that underlie stress susceptibility, as well as active mechanisms underlying the resilience phenotype. Ultimately, this growing understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of resilience should result in the development of novel interventions that specifically target neural circuitry and brain areas that enhance resilience and lead to more effective treatments for stress-induced disorders. Stress resilience can be improved, but the outcomes and effects depend on the type of intervention and the species treated.
Aim: The present study is conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of mindfulness-based parenthood intervention for mothers and self-compassion intervention for girls on resilience of teenage girls that have parent-child conflict. Method: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test post-test design. It also had control group and follow-up. The statistical population of the study consisted of 14 and 15 years old teenage girls who were studying in public schools in district 14 of Tehran, in the school year 2021-22 and their mothers. The sample of the study was 34 students who were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly divided into three groups. The first group were 10 of the student's mothers who received mindfulness-based parenthood intervention (Bogels & Restifo, 2014) and the second group consisted of 12 students who received self-compassion intervention (Gilbert, 2010). Besides, the control group consisted of 12 students who didn’t receive any intervention. Data:were collected with resilience scale (Conner & Davidson, 2003). Results: The outcomes of the analysis of mixvariance demonstrated that mindfulness-based parenthood intervention for mothers and self-compassion intervention for girls were significantly effective on resilience, compared to the control group (F=19/63, P=0/001). and there were no significant differences between the effectiveness of the two methods and the effects of intervention over time remained constant (p≤0.001). Conclusion: Therefore, these interventions can be used in school counseling environments so as to increase resilience, improve relationships, for adolescents who have conflict with their parents.
Background
Mental health is a global issue requiring global attention. Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental disorders (CMDs) and are characterized by high incidence and high comorbidity. In recent years, the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated social instability have posed significant challenges to the mental resilience and mental health outcomes of the global population. Now more than ever, with an increase in mental health needs, it has become even more crucial to find an effective solution to provide universal mental healthcare. Psychotherapy is of vital importance for those coping with symptoms of depression and anxiety and is used to enhance mental resilience. However, such therapy can be difficult to access in reality. In this context, the Micro-Video Psychological Training Camp (MVPTC) platform will be developed.
Objectives
As an online self-help platform for psychological intervention, the MVPTC platform was developed for those who suffer from mild to moderate symptoms of depression and/or anxiety and is tasked with the goal of reducing depressive and anxious symptoms while improving mental resilience. Thus, this study will be carried out to verify its efficacy and applicability.
Methods
In this parallel-group, randomized controlled trial, a total of 200 mild to moderately depressed and/or anxious adults seeking self-help will be randomly recruited and assigned to either the micro-video psychological intervention group or the wait list control group. Online measurements by self-assessment will be taken at baseline, post-intervention, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up.
Results
The primary results will involve symptoms of depression and anxiety. The secondary results will involve mental resilience. An analysis will be conducted based on the intention-to-treat principle.
Discussion
This trial will examine whether the MVPTC platform for the relief of symptoms and the enhancement of resilience in a population screened for depression and anxiety symptoms proves effective and applicable. Large-scale resilience enhancement may benefit public mental health in terms of preventive interventions, managing depressive and anxiety symptoms, and promoting mental health. With the MVPTC-based method being applied, a brief, efficient, and structured intervention model can potentially be established, having the potential to provide necessary and accessible mental support for an extensive target group.
Clinical trial registration
http://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2100043725.
Building resilience is an important aspect of many therapeutic interventions. These can directly or indirectly build or build on resilience by building people’s ability to positively and also realistically perceive and respond to challenging life events, and therefore to not be psychologically damaged by them, and even to grow as a result of them. As described in the previous chapter some people show great resilience in response to great life challenges, while other people do not show it even in response to what seems like small challenges. In this chapter we will explore how resilience can really be strengthened and discovered in practice—for clients as well as practitioners. This exploration will include a look at the big resilience in picture, which includes the psychological and other practice related systems that resilience is a vital part of.
Resilience, a person’s ability to adjust well to adversity, is essential for success and well-being for all but especially crucial for children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we adopted a single-subject design with a technique of multiple probes across behaviours to examine the effects of a context-specific intervention program on the resilience of a 3rd grader with ADHD. The intervention programme incorporates dialogic reading and guided reading principles, and targets three positive behavioural outcomes of resilience: affect control, positive thinking, and goal planning. The results indicated that all three behavioural outcomes of the participant’s resilience increased over the intervention course, and the effects sustained after the completion of the intervention. Moreover, the participant also resiliently generalised the strategies obtained during the intervention in new situations.
In the last three decades, mindfulness and resilience have received extensive scholarly attention. Research has burgeoned and they have both become “buzz words” in the social sciences and mental health fields. That said, they are often presented as unrelated qualities, skills, or states, and few studies and texts have examined their linkages and/or how they complement each other. Masten’s (2001, 2009) seminal papers and subsequent book (2014) that presented resilience as “ordinary magic” have had large impacts on resilience scholarship, bringing forth that resilience is much more of a common human occurrence and proclivity than previously considered. In this paper, we explore the potential for mindfulness to be a potentially overlooked and ubiquitous protective factor in the development and maintenance of resilience. To achieve this, we propose that mindfulness is fundamental to resilience by investigating linkages between mindfulness and resilience yet to be thoroughly explored in the literature, and discuss how mindfulness is logically connected to resilience. Likewise, we suggest that the complementary interplay between mindfulness and resilience is readily applicable and highly germane, as mindfulness may beget resilience and vice versa.
(ENG)The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors and protective factors that impact stress response and resilience, and to examine the longitudinal relationship between stress response, the internalization of problems, and resilience in disaster victims on the basis of the diathesis-stress model and resilience theory. A total of 217 adult men and 247 adult women aged 20 years or older who responded to the 2017 and 2018 disaster victim panel surveys participated in this study. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling on SPSS and AMOS software. The results obtained showed that pre-disaster psychiatric history, injury history, extent of property damage, and change of residence significantly predicted posttraumatic stress response, and sex, health status, and social support significantly predicted resilience. Furthermore, stress response and depression/anxiety were found to be closely related and the path from stress response to depression/anxiety was found to be significant. It was also suggested that this relationship is moderated by resilience, however this moderation was not observed in the second year. The results of this study suggest that it is effective to focus on promoting resilience in the disaster preparation and initial response phases, but in the recovery phase, evaluation and treatment interventions considering stress response and internalization issues may be effective. Possible measures for screening and intervention among high-risk groups with considerations for disaster-prone areas and cultural backgrounds in Korea were discussed.
(KOR)본 연구의 목적은 소질-스트레스 모형과 회복탄력성 이론을 활용하여 재난 피해자의 스트레스 반응과 회복탄력성에 영향을 미치는 위험요인과 보호요인을 식별하고, 스트레스 반응과 내재화 문제 및 회복탄력성 간의 종단적인 관계를 조사하는 것이다. 연구 참여자는 2017년과 2018년에 재난 피해자 패널조사에 응답한 20대 이상의 성인 남성 217명과 여성 247명이다. 자료는 SPSS와 AMOS 프로그램을 사용하여 구조방정식 모델링을 통해 분석되었다. 본 연구의 결과는 재난 이전의 정신과 병력, 부상 경험, 재산 피해 정도, 거주지의 변화가 외상 후 스트레스 반응을 유의하게 예측하며 성별, 건강 상태, 사회적 지지가 회복탄력성을 유의하게 예측한다는 것을 보여주었다. 또한, 스트레스 반응과 우울/불안은 서로 밀접한 관련이 있으며 스트레스 반응에서 우울/불안으로 가는 경로는 유의한 것으로 나타났다. 위 관계는 회복탄력성에 의해 조절된다고 제안되었지만 2차 년도에서는 조절되지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결과는 재난 준비와 초기 대응 단계에서 탄력성을 증진하는 것에 초점을 두는 것이 효과적이지만 회복 단계에서는 스트레스 반응과 내재화 문제를 고려한 평가와 치료적 개입이 효과적일 수 있음을 시사한다. 국내에서 발생하는 재난과 문화적 배경을 고려하여 고위험 집단을 선별하고 중재하기 위한 방안을 논의하였다.
Purpose: To test the effect of meditation on resilience of community-dwelling stroke survivors, and to identify resilience predictor variables in these survivors. Methods: Sub-study with secondary analysis of existing data from the parent study, MEditatioN for post stroke Depression (MEND). Paired samples t-test was used to evaluate the effect of meditation on resilience of stroke-survivors (n=20) in the intervention group. Bivariate analysis and general linear modeling (GLM) were used to identify demographic, clinical, and psychological predictor variables of baseline resilience for all stroke survivors (n=34). Results: The increase in stroke-survivor resilience scores from baseline (mean 3.46, SD=.81) to intervention completion (mean 3.58, SD 1.02) was not statistically significant (t=.60, df 19, p=.56). Four predictor variables (trait anxiety, state anxiety, depressive symptoms, and race) met a priori criteria (p≤.10) for inclusion in multivariate analysis. GLM with resilience as the dependent variable, race as a fixed factor, and trait anxiety as a covariate was significant (F3,30, p = .002), and accounted for nearly 33% of the variance in baseline resilience. Conclusion: Strategies to enhance resilience may support stroke-survivor recovery, but further research is needed. These studies should explore the effect of variables, such as race and trait anxiety, on stroke-survivor resilience.
In a topic as broad as suicide, and with as little answers as we've been able to gather so far, speaking about biological factors implies defining them and explaining why we consider them so. In this chapter we will discuss how some behavioral characteristics can be developed, in some cases through life experiences, and then passed down to our descendants. Further ahead, we will also talk about how a factor that hasn't been taken enough into account in heritability studies could be the one holding us back from reaching better answers. That factor is timing.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to address military leader perceptions of their resilience, transformational leadership behaviors, and leadership effectiveness before and after experiencing Mindfulness-Based Attention Training (MBAT).
Methods:
Participants were formal and informal leaders in the Kansas Air National Guard. The study used a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design. Phase I involved analyzing pretest and posttest results obtained from a Jha Lab study for three self-report assessments in an intervention group (n = 36) vs a control group (n = 37). The qualitative data in phase II was obtained from individual interviews of participants (n = 12) following the Jha Lab study.
Results:
The phase I quantitative results confirmed the null hypotheses-no significant differences found-for all research questions. Phase II resulted in eight thematic codes, six of which were central to the experiences described by participants (Halting, Sensing, Being, Shielding, Considering, and Engaging) and two that were not (Obstructing, and Escaping).
Conclusions:
The key finding was that the descriptions of mindful thoughts and behaviors were consistent across participants indicating that MBAT accurately presents mindfulness during the course and the training had positive effects on participant mindfulness, primarily in the areas of being present to self, shielding the self through reperceiving, and then consciously altering behavior based on the new perspective. Results should direct future resiliency course development, leadership course curricula, and aid understanding of how leaders mentally conceptualize stress, incorporate resilient behaviors and then apply that knowledge to their own leadership behaviors.
Background:
Significant gaps exist in the identification and management of psychological effects of stroke on survivors. Interventions to enhance resilience, the ability to rebound from stress or adversity, could positively impact stroke recovery. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of meditation on resilience of community-dwelling stroke survivors and to identify resilience predictor variables in these survivors.
Methods:
This was a substudy with secondary analysis of existing data from the parent study, MEditatioN for post stroke Depression. The effect of meditation on stroke survivor resilience in the intervention group (n = 20) was evaluated with a paired samples t test, with measures at baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention. Baseline resilience predictor variables for all stroke survivors (n = 35) were evaluated with univariable analysis and multiple linear regression modeling.
Results:
The increase in stroke survivor resilience scores from baseline (mean [SD], 3.46 [0.81]) to intervention completion (mean [SD], 3.58 [1.02]) was not statistically significant (t = 0.60, df = 19, P = .56). One-way analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc analysis revealed that baseline resilience was significantly lower (P = .02) for non-Hispanic black participants than for non-Hispanic white participants. Multiple linear regression with resilience as the dependent variable, race as a fixed factor, and trait anxiety as a covariate was significant (F3,33 = 6.32, P = .002) and accounted for nearly 33% of the variance in baseline resilience.
Conclusion:
The effects of meditation on stroke survivor resilience should be tested in larger clinical trials that would explore the influence of social determinants of health, perceived stress, race-related stress, and anxiety subtypes on resilience.
Practical Stress Management SEVENTH EDITION Practical Stress Management is a focused, personal, worksheet-based text that combines theory and practice with hands-on exercises to help manage the negative impact of stress in life. The text is accompanied by online access to MP3 files of guided relaxation techniques and downloadable worksheets. As a practical tool for recognizing and preventing stress, the action-oriented approach enables the students to make personal change through self-reflection and evidence-based behavior change techniques. This approach allows the book to be used as a text in a course as well as a self-study/reference book. The workbook emphasizes a positive approach to stress management, covering topics such as relaxation techniques, coping with anxiety, managing anger, communication skills, and exercise and nutrition. In this edition, the authors also cover financial stress and expand their section on sleep and meditation. The workbook describes some of the surreptitious meditation techniques from India not described in any text before. Worksheets and Thoughts for Reflection boxes help you determine your own level of stress and apply effective stress management techniques. The Seventh Edition has been completely revised, including: • Updating of references and further readings in each chapter • Updating of websites to explore in each chapter • Ten new additional worksheets (and updating of remaining worksheets) • Highlighting meditation throughout the course of life • Presenting application of fourth generation multitheory model to stress management JOHN A. ROMAS
Primary care physicians experience high rates of burnout, which results in diminished quality of life, poorer quality of care, and workforce attrition. In this randomized controlled trial, our primary aim was to examine the impact of a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on burnout, stress, mindfulness, compassion, and resilience among physicians. A total of 33 physicians completed the baseline assessment and were randomized to the Mindful Medicine Curriculum (MMC; n = 17) or waitlist control group (n = 16). Participants completed self-report measures at baseline, post-MBI, and 3-month follow-up. We also analyzed satisfaction with doctor communication (DCC) and overall doctor rating (ODR) data from patients of the physicians in our sample. Participants in the MMC group reported significant improvements in stress (P < .001), mindfulness (P = .05), emotional exhaustion (P = .004), and depersonalization (P = .01) whereas in the control group, there were no improvements on these outcomes. Although the MMC had no impact on patient-reported DCC or ODR, among the entire sample at baseline, DCC and ODR were significantly correlated with several physician outcomes, including resilience and personal achievement. Overall, these findings suggest that a brief MBI can have a positive impact on physician well-being and potentially enhance patient care.
Objective
To test whether a brief mindfulness meditation training intervention buffers self-reported psychological and neuroendocrine responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in young adult volunteers. A second objective evaluates whether pre-existing levels of dispositional mindfulness moderate the effects of brief mindfulness meditation training on stress reactivity.
Methods
Sixty-six (N = 66) participants were randomly assigned to either a brief 3-day (25-minutes per day) mindfulness meditation training or an analytic cognitive training control program. All participants completed a standardized laboratory social-evaluative stress challenge task (the TSST) following the third mindfulness meditation or cognitive training session. Measures of psychological (stress perceptions) and biological (salivary cortisol, blood pressure) stress reactivity were collected during the social evaluative stress-challenge session.
Results
Brief mindfulness meditation training reduced self-reported psychological stress reactivity but increased salivary cortisol reactivity to the TSST, relative to the cognitive training comparison program. Participants who were low in pre-existing levels of dispositional mindfulness and then received mindfulness meditation training had the greatest cortisol reactivity to the TSST. No significant main or interactive effects were observed for systolic or diastolic blood pressure reactivity to the TSST.
Conclusions
The present study provides an initial indication that brief mindfulness meditation training buffers self-reported psychological stress reactivity, but also increases cortisol reactivity to social evaluative stress. This pattern may indicate that initially brief mindfulness meditation training fosters greater active coping efforts, resulting in reduced psychological stress appraisals and greater cortisol reactivity during social evaluative stressors.
Importance
Many people meditate to reduce psychological stress and stress-related health problems. To counsel people appropriately, clinicians need to know what the evidence says about the health benefits of meditation.
Objective
To determine the efficacy of meditation programs in improving stress-related outcomes (anxiety, depression, stress/distress, positive mood, mental health–related quality of life, attention, substance use, eating habits, sleep, pain, and weight) in diverse adult clinical populations.
Evidence Review
We identified randomized clinical trials with active controls for placebo effects through November 2012 from MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, PsycArticles, Scopus, CINAHL, AMED, the Cochrane Library, and hand searches. Two independent reviewers screened citations and extracted data. We graded the strength of evidence using 4 domains (risk of bias, precision, directness, and consistency) and determined the magnitude and direction of effect by calculating the relative difference between groups in change from baseline. When possible, we conducted meta-analyses using standardized mean differences to obtain aggregate estimates of effect size with 95% confidence intervals.
Findings
After reviewing 18 753 citations, we included 47 trials with 3515 participants. Mindfulness meditation programs had moderate evidence of improved anxiety (effect size, 0.38 [95% CI, 0.12-0.64] at 8 weeks and 0.22 [0.02-0.43] at 3-6 months), depression (0.30 [0.00-0.59] at 8 weeks and 0.23 [0.05-0.42] at 3-6 months), and pain (0.33 [0.03- 0.62]) and low evidence of improved stress/distress and mental health–related quality of life. We found low evidence of no effect or insufficient evidence of any effect of meditation programs on positive mood, attention, substance use, eating habits, sleep, and weight. We found no evidence that meditation programs were better than any active treatment (ie, drugs, exercise, and other behavioral therapies).
Conclusions and Relevance
Clinicians should be aware that meditation programs can result in small to moderate reductions of multiple negative dimensions of psychological stress. Thus, clinicians should be prepared to talk with their patients about the role that a meditation program could have in addressing psychological stress. Stronger study designs are needed to determine the effects of meditation programs in improving the positive dimensions of mental health and stress-related behavior.
The high levels of stress and burnout endemic to social work have been found to contribute to the current retention problems in the UK. It has been argued that resilience is a protective factor that enhances the ability to manage stress, and promotes wellbeing in the social care context. Little is known, however, about the individual difference factors that promote resilience in this context, or whether this protects the well-being of staff. In order to inform the development of interventions to enhance the work-related well-being of early career social workers, this study examined several emotional and social competencies (i.e. emotional intelligence, reflective ability, empathy and social competence) as predictors of resilience in 240 trainees. Whether resilience predicted psychological distress was also investigated, together with the role played by resilience in the relationship between emotional intelligence and distress. The emotional and social competencies explained 47 per cent of variance in resilience. A significant negative relationship was found between resilience and psychological distress. Resilience fully mediated the negative association between emotional intelligence and psychological distress, highlighting the importance of inter- and intra-individual emotional competencies in promoting resilience and enhancing well-being. How these findings might inform the curriculum to help trainees enhance resistance to workplace stress is considered.
This study describes the effects of an 8-week course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; J. Kabat-Zinn, 1982, 1990) on affective symptoms (depression and anxiety), dysfunctional attitudes, and rumination. Given the focus of mindfulness meditation (MM) in modifying cognitive processes, it was hypothesized that the primary change in MM practice involves reductions in ruminative tendencies. We studied a sample of individuals with lifetime mood disorders who were assessed prior to and upon completion of an MBSR course. We also compared a waitlist sample matched with a subset of the MBSR completers. Overall, the results suggest that MM practice primarily leads to decreases in ruminative thinking, even after controlling for reductions in affective symptoms and dysfunctional beliefs.
Work-related stress is one of the biggest health and safety challenges that we face in
Europe. Stress is the second most frequently reported work-related health problem,
affecting 22% of workers from the EU 27 (in 2005), and the number of people suffering
from stress-related conditions caused or made worse by work is likely to increase.This report discusses the prevalence of stress and the trends in work-related stress in
the Member States of the European Union (based on international and national data),
identifying those groups particularly exposed to stress in their working lives,
subdivided by age, gender, sector, occupation, and employment status. Areas for
future research and action are also indicated.
The purpose of this article is to determine whether the positive association between social support and well-being is attributable more to an overall beneficial effect of support (main- or direct-effect model) or to a process of support protecting persons from potentially adverse effects of stressful events (buffering model). The review of studies is organized according to (a) whether a measure assesses support structure or function, and (b) the degree of specificity (vs. globality) of the scale. By structure we mean simply the existence of relationships, and by function we mean the extent to which one’s interpersonal relationships provide particular resources. Special attention is paid to methodological characteristics that are requisite for a fair comparison of the models. The review concludes that there is evidence consistent with both models. Evidence for a buffering model is found when the social support measure assesses the perceived availability of interpersonal resources that are responsive to the needs elicited by stressful events. Evidence for a main effect model is found when the support measure assesses a person’s degree of integration in a large social network. Both conceptualizations of social support are correct in some respects, but each represents a different process through which social support may affect well-being. Implications of these conclusions for theories of social support processes and for the design of preventive interventions are discussed.
Over 60 years ago, Selye1 recognized the paradox that the physiologic systems activated by stress can not only protect and restore but also damage the body. What links these seemingly contradictory roles? How does stress influence the pathogenesis of disease, and what accounts for the variation in vulnerability to stress-related diseases among people with similar life experiences? How can stress-induced damage be quantified? These and many other questions still challenge investigators. This article reviews the long-term effect of the physiologic response to stress, which I refer to as allostatic load.2 Allostasis — the ability to achieve stability through change3 — . . .
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Americans each year, yet the misperception still exists that cardiovascular disease is not a serious health problem for women. Evidence indicates that anxiety contributes to the development of heart disease. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness-based stress reduction program to reduce anxiety in women with heart disease. Anxiety, emotional control, coping styles, and health locus of control were compared in a treatment and control group of women with heart disease. Post-intervention analyses provide initial support for beneficial effects of this program.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a structured group program that employs mindfulness meditation to alleviate suffering associated with physical, psychosomatic and psychiatric disorders. The program, nonreligious and nonesoteric, is based upon a systematic procedure to develop enhanced awareness of moment-to-moment experience of perceptible mental processes. The approach assumes that greater awareness will provide more veridical perception, reduce negative affect and improve vitality and coping. In the last two decades, a number of research reports appeared that seem to support many of these claims. We performed a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished studies of health-related studies related to MBSR.
Sixty-four empirical studies were found, but only 20 reports met criteria of acceptable quality or relevance to be included in the meta-analysis. Reports were excluded due to (1) insufficient information about interventions, (2) poor quantitative health evaluation, (3) inadequate statistical analysis, (4) mindfulness not being the central component of intervention, or (5) the setting of intervention or sample composition deviating too widely from the health-related MBSR program. Acceptable studies covered a wide spectrum of clinical populations (e.g., pain, cancer, heart disease, depression, and anxiety), as well as stressed nonclinical groups. Both controlled and observational investigations were included. Standardized measures of physical and mental well-being constituted the dependent variables of the analysis.
Overall, both controlled and uncontrolled studies showed similar effect sizes of approximately 0.5 (P<.0001) with homogeneity of distribution.
Although derived from a relatively small number of studies, these results suggest that MBSR may help a broad range of individuals to cope with their clinical and nonclinical problems.
Stressors have a major influence upon mood, our sense of well-being, behavior, and health. Acute stress responses in young, healthy individuals may be adaptive and typically do not impose a health burden. However, if the threat is unremitting, particularly in older or unhealthy individuals, the long-term effects of stressors can damage health. The relationship between psychosocial stressors and disease is affected by the nature, number, and persistence of the stressors as well as by the individual's biological vulnerability (i.e., genetics, constitutional factors), psychosocial resources, and learned patterns of coping. Psychosocial interventions have proven useful for treating stress-related disorders and may influence the course of chronic diseases.
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of a short-term temple stay experience on daily life-stress reduction and continuance. The result of this study is as follows. Average daily stress index of male and female after temple stay was remarkably low more than before. Stress index was relatively highly in the following order: just before temple stay, three months, a month, a week after temple stay. By age stress reduction, index of 60s` male was highest while one of 30s` and 40s` female was rather high.
CME Educational Objectives
1. Discuss the interplay between stress and resilience.
2. Describe the unique characteristics of emerging adulthood.
3. Describe the beneficial effect of mindfulness training on resilience.
Resilience, the ability to recover psychologically from stressful or traumatic events, is often discussed in the psychiatric literature in terms of an individual’s ability to recover from significant trauma. Much of the information about what builds or inhibits an individual’s resilience is based on research on people who have survived severe traumas or on animal models of severe trauma. However, in the world of college counseling, the emphasis is slightly different. Although there are certainly a number of college students presenting to student counseling centers who have survived horrific challenges, a much more common presentation is the student who is having trouble adapting to more-routine life events, such as failing in academic endeavors or being rejected by a love interest. Helping emerging adults (EAs) build the resilience they need to manage their day-to-day stresses is one of the core challenges for clinicians working with college students.
One of the key functions of clinical supervision as practised by health professionals such as psychologists includes the restoration of wellbeing, but there are few guidelines in the supervision literature on how to go about this. Research into concepts from the field of positive psychology such as work engagement, sense of coherence, self-efficacy, flow and resilience has begun to provide detailed understanding of workers' happiness, health and betterment. These findings provide possible directions for supervision interventions that go beyond traditional review of self-care and stress-management strategies and seek to extend the wellbeing of the supervisee. This article explores the application of positive psychology to enhance the wellbeing of practitioners such as psychologists, who often work in inherently difficult work environments such as the mental health field. Specifically, a narrative approach is proposed as one possible method and practical examples are offered to demonstrate how positive psychology may be applied in the practice of clinical supervision.
The practice of mindfulness meditation was used in a 10-week Stress Reduction and Relaxation Program to train chronic pain patients in self-regulation. The meditation facilitates an attentional stance towards proprioception known as detached observation. This appears to cause an "uncoupling " of the sensory dimension of the pain experience from the affective/evaluative alarm reaction and reduce the experience of suffering via cognitive reappraisal. Data are presented on 51 chronic pain patients who had not improved with traditional medical care. The dominant pain categories were low back, neck and shoulder, and headache. Facial pain, angina pectoris, noncoronary chest pain, and GI pain were also represented. At 10 weeks, 65% of the patients showed a reduction of greater than or equal to 33% in the mean total Pain Rating Index (Melzack) and 50% showed a reduction of greater than or equal to 50%. Similar decreases were recorded on other pain indices and in the number of medical symptoms reported. Large and significant reductions in mood disturbance and psychiatric symptomatology accompanied these changes and were relatively stable on follow-up. These improvements were independent of the pain category. We conclude that this form of meditation can be used as the basis for an effective behavioral program in self-regulation for chronic pain patients. Key features of the program structure, and the limitations of the present uncontrolled study are discussed.
Rates of depression have been rising, as have rates of work stress. We tested the influence of work stress on diagnosed depression and anxiety in young working adults.
Participants were enrolled in the Dunedin study, a 1972-1973 longitudinal birth cohort assessed most recently in 2004-2005, at age 32 (n=972, 96% of 1015 cohort members still alive). Work stress (psychological job demands, work decision latitude, low work social support, physical work demands) was ascertained by interview. Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) were ascertained using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) and diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria.
Participants exposed to high psychological job demands (excessive workload, extreme time pressures) had a twofold risk of MDD or GAD compared to those with low job demands. Relative risks (RRs) adjusting for all work characteristics were: 1.90 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-2.98] in women, and 2.00 (95% CI 1.13-3.56) in men. Analyses ruled out the possibility that the association between work stress and disorder resulted from study members' socio-economic position, a personality tendency to report negatively, or a history of psychiatric disorder prior to labour-market entry. Prospective longitudinal analyses showed that high-demand jobs were associated with the onset of new depression and anxiety disorder in individuals without any pre-job history of diagnosis or treatment for either disorder.
Work stress appears to precipitate diagnosable depression and anxiety in previously healthy young workers. Helping workers cope with work stress or reducing work stress levels could prevent the occurrence of clinically significant depression and anxiety.
Coping with stress health psychology-a handbook
- B Cohen
- J Williamson
Cohen, B., & Williamson, J. (1979). Coping with stress health psychology-a handbook. San Francisco,
CA: Jossey Bass.
Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being
- M Goyal
- S Singh
- E M Sibinga
- N F Gould
- A Rowland-Seymour
- R Sharma
- H M Shihab
Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … Shihab, H.
M. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being. JAMA Internal Medicine,
174, 357-368.
The heart of Buddhist meditation : Satipaṭṭhāna : A handbook of mental training based on the Buddha's way of mindfulness : With an anthology of relevant texts translated from the Pali and Sanskrit
- Nyanaponika
Nyanaponika. (1962). The heart of Buddhist meditation : Satipaṭṭhāna : A handbook of mental training
based on the Buddha's way of mindfulness : With an anthology of relevant texts translated from the
Pali and Sanskrit. London: Rider.
Stress and disease. The Laryngoscope
- H Selye
Selye, H. (1955). Stress and disease. The Laryngoscope, 65, 500-514.