Effects of mindfulness‐based stress reduction on emotional experience and expression: a randomized controlled trial

TLDR

Mindfulness‑based stress reduction (MBSR) has been shown to reduce psychological distress and improve adjustment across medical, psychiatric, and nonclinical populations. The study aimed to evaluate MBSR’s impact on emotion‑regulation processes, attitudes, and behaviors. A randomized controlled design assigned 56 adults to either an 8‑week MBSR program or a waiting‑list control. MBSR participants exhibited significant increases in trait mindfulness and self‑compassion and reductions in absent‑mindedness, fear of emotions, anger suppression, aggressive anger expression, worry, and emotion‑regulation difficulties; the waiting‑list group showed comparable gains after receiving MBSR, and both groups maintained most benefits at 2‑month follow‑up with reduced rumination. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.; J Clin Psychol 68:1–15, 2011.

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: Mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) has been found to reduce psychological distress and improve psychological adjustment in medical, psychiatric, and nonclinical samples. We examined its effects on several processes, attitudes, and behavior patterns related to emotion regulation. Design: Fifty‐six adults were randomly assigned to MBSR or to a waiting list (WL). Results: Compared with WL completers ( n = 21), MBSR completers ( n = 20) reported significantly greater increases in trait mindfulness and decreases in absent‐mindedness, greater increases in self‐compassion, and decreases in fear of emotions, suppression of anger, aggressive anger expression, worry, and difficulties regulating emotions. The WL group subsequently received MBSR, and the two groups combined showed significant changes on all of these variables from pre‐MBSR to post‐MBSR, and on all except the 2 anger variables from pre‐test to 2‐month follow‐up, as well as significant reductions in rumination. Conclusion: An 8‐week mindfulness training program might increase mindful awareness in daily life and have beneficial impact on clinically relevant emotion regulation processes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 68:1–15, 2011.