The purpose of this study is to determine whether participating in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program increases mindful attention and awareness, and whether anticipated changes in mindfulness relate to improved emotional well-being, sleep quality, physical symptoms of stress, sense of spirituality, and quality of life following MBSR.
This study will be conducted among men and women participating in 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. The central hypothesis of this NIH-funded clinical trial (K99 AT004945, PI: Greeson) is that mindfulness meditation training is associated with increased levels of mindfulness and improved cognitive-emotional functioning that, together, are associated with reduced psychological distress, improved sleep quality, and decreased stress-related physical symptoms, including muscle tension, headache, and gastrointestinal complaints. This study is designed to examine psychological mechanisms that may explain individual differences in MBSR outcomes. This knowledge is important because it will help us better understand who is most likely to benefit from mindfulness meditation training, and why. The results from this study are expected to elucidate mechanisms underlying the mental and physical health benefits of stress reduction, which can help guide clinicians in referring the most suitable patients to local MBSR programs.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
372
The MBSR program consists of 8 weekly classes that last for 2.5 hours each and a commitment to daily meditation practice for the duration of the course. Classes include didactic instruction on mindfulness and its relationship to stress and health, guided meditation practices, and group discussion. Mindfulness meditation practices include awareness of breathing, awareness of emotions, body scan, mindful hatha yoga, mindful walking, mindful eating, mindful listening, and lovingkindness (metta). Participants are expected to practice formal meditation outside of class for 20-45 min per day, 6 days per week. In addition, participants are encouraged apply mindfulness to everyday activities like eating, communicating with others, and hobbies. Written materials and audio CDs with guided meditations and yoga are provided. The course also includes one full day (7-hours) of meditation on a Saturday following the 6th week of class.
Duke Integrative Medicine
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Mindfulness
Attention to and awareness of thoughts and feelings.
Time frame: 2 months
Sleep quality
Self-reported sleep quality during the past month, as indicated by sleep latency (time to fall asleep), subjective sleep quality (very good, fairly good, fairly bad, very bad), sleep duration (hours of sleep per night), sleep efficiency (# of hrs asleep/# of hrs in bed), use of sleep medication, and daytime functioning (mental clarity and energy/fatigue).
Time frame: 2 months
Cognitive perseveration
Forms of distressing repetitive thought, including unwanted intrusive thoughts and rumination.
Time frame: 2 months
Emotion regulation
Strategies to regulate emotions, including suppression, reappraisal, and avoidance.
Time frame: 2 months
Spirituality
Ordinary experiences of connection with the transcendent in daily life.
Time frame: 2-months
Health-related quality of life
Mental and physical functioning and well-being during daily life.
Time frame: 2-months
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