Mindfulness

Long-term meditation practice affects the brain’s ability to sustain attention. However, how this occurs is not well understood. Electroencephalography (EEG) studies have found that during dichotic oddball listening tasks, experienced meditators displayed altered attention-related neural markers including theta phase synchronization (TPS) and event-related potentials (ERP; P200 and P300) to target tones while meditating compared to resting, and compared to non-meditators after intensive meditation interventions. Research is yet to establish whether the changes in the aforementioned neural markers are trait changes which may be observable in meditators irrespective of practice setting. The present study expanded on previous research by comparing EEG measures from a dichotic oddball task in a sample of community-based mindfulness meditators (n = 22) to healthy controls with no meditation experience (n = 22). To minimize state effects, neither group practiced meditation during/immediately prior to the EEG session. No group differences were observed in behavioural performance or either the global amplitude or distribution of theta phase synchronization, P200 or P300. Bayes factor analysis suggested evidence against group differences for the P200 and P300. The results suggest that increased P200, P300, and TPS do not reflect trait-related changes in a community sample of mindfulness meditators. The present study used a larger sample size than previous research and power analyses suggested the study was sufficiently powered to detect differences. These results add nuance to our understanding of which processes are affected by meditation and the amount of meditation required to generate differences in specific neural processes.

The objective of this study was to examine associations between the mindful parenting style of parents of adolescents (aged 12–18) with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and the glycaemic control and quality of life (QoL) of the adolescents. Chronic health conditions, such as T1DM, that require demanding treatment regimens, can negatively impact adolescents’ quality of life. Therefore, it is important to determine whether mindful parenting may have a positive impact in these adolescents. Age, sex and duration of T1DM were examined as potential moderators. Parents (N = 215) reported on their own mindful parenting style (IM-P-NL) and the adolescents’ glycaemic control. Parents and the adolescents with T1DM (N = 129) both reported on adolescents’ generic and diabetes-specific QoL (PedsQL™). The results showed that a more mindful parenting style was associated with more optimal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values for boys. For girls, a more mindful parenting style was associated with not having been hospitalized for ketoacidosis. For both boys and girls, a more mindful parenting style was associated with better generic and diabetes-specific proxy-reported QoL. In conclusion, mindful parenting style may be a factor in helping adolescents manage their T1DM. Mindful parenting intervention studies for parents of adolescents with T1DM are needed to examine the effects on adolescents’ glycaemic control and their quality of life.

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consistently report lower quality of life (QOL) compared with peers. Despite the growing population and needs of adults with ASD, many psychosocial interventions target children and adolescents while relying on high-level cognitive strategies for symptom reduction. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which cultivates awareness and regulation skills through experiential practice instead of cognitive strategies, has been modified for autistic samples across the lifespan. However, it has not been tested if the standard MBSR curriculum is appropriate for an autistic population to improve QOL. This pilot feasibility trial aimed to (1) establish the feasibility and acceptability of a MBSR group intervention with adults diagnosed with ASD without modification; (2) evaluate fidelity to the MBSR curriculum; and (3) calculate estimates of change in QOL, life satisfaction, positive outlook, and mindfulness. Participants included twelve adults with ASD (IQ > 70; age 22–63). Participants completed the intervention and pre-, mid-, and post-assessments. Participants reported high satisfaction with the intervention on CSQ-8 (M = 27.92, SD = 3.5) with 100% retention. Randomly selected sessions met fidelity review on the MBI-TAC. Effect size estimates suggested large improvements in positive outlook (F(2,22) = 12.42, p < .001, d = 2.12), satisfaction with life (F(2,22) = 3.22, p = .059, d = 1.08), mindfulness (F(2,22) = 3.34, p = .054, d = 1.10), and quality of life (F(2,22) = 3.09, p = .066, d = 1.059). This study established feasibility and acceptability of traditional MBSR for adults with ASD and identified key supports for implementing MBSR with ASD.

It has been well documented that workplace stress can have a negative impact on nurse well-being and productivity, and can result in the syndrome of compassion fatigue, which is comprised of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Identifying effective and practical workplace interventions to help improve nurse resilience to prevent compassion fatigue is therefore a high priority. This study trialled the effectiveness of a brief mindful self-care and resiliency intervention for nurses working in an Australian tertiary hospital compared to nurses in a wait list control condition. A total of 91 nurses participated in the study (n = 65 intervention condition; n = 26 control condition). The intervention involved a 1-day workshop followed by three weekly mindfulness practice sessions. Nurses completed measures of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, negative mood, self-compassion, compassion satisfaction, subjective quality of life and general self-efficacy at pre-test, post-test and 6-month follow-up. Analysis revealed that compared to the control group, the intervention group had significant reductions in burnout and depressed mood upon completion of the MSCR. Follow-up data indicated that these reductions persisted at 6-month post-MSCR for the intervention group. While interactions between intervention and control conditions for other measures failed to reach statistical significance, follow-up analysis revealed significant improvements in compassion satisfaction, self-compassion and subjective quality of life for nurses completing the intervention. As a whole, the findings demonstrate that a brief mindfulness-based self-care intervention is effective at improving the emotional functioning of nurses.

We examined 3-month effects of a mindfulness-based intervention with first-year college students. First, we evaluated the intervention effects on measures of life satisfaction and distress. Second, we examined the potential mediators of these effects, in particular a change in mindfulness states and the use of mindfulness practice after the intervention was completed. The study recruited 109 first-year undergraduates at a large, public university living in the residential halls (M age = 18.2 years, SD = 0.4, 66% females). The sample was randomized to an intervention and control group and 3 months after the end of the intervention both groups completed follow-up. We found intervention effects on distress and life satisfaction at the 3-month follow-up, controlling for gender and attendance of therapy before college (distress: Beta =  − 0.177, SE = 0.092, p = 0.055, life satisfaction: Beta = 0.186, SE = 0.075, p = 0.014). Furthermore, we found that the growth in self-reported mindfulness mediated the effects of the intervention at the 3-month follow-up on distress (Beta =  − 0.452, SE = 0.089, p = 0.000), but not on life satisfaction (Beta = 0.081, SE = 0.096, p = 0.394). The use of mindfulness practices after the intervention (between post-test and follow-up) mediated the intervention effects on both distress and life satisfaction at follow-up (distress: Beta =  − 0.231, SE = 0.097, p = 0.018, life satisfaction: Beta = 0.219, SE = 0.074, p = 0.003). These findings support the notion that self-reported mindfulness can be increased and this shift may mediate the longer term outcomes of mindfulness interventions.

This article explores the role performed by mindfulness in the cultivation of states of meditative absorption. Although this dimension of mindfulness is probably of less relevance to its employment in current Mindfulness-Based Interventions, it is perhaps still of interest to explore the operation of mindfulness in such contexts in order to better appreciate the multifunctionality of mindfulness in its original Buddhist setting. Such exploration points in particular to a monitoring role of mindfulness that is of continuous relevance, from overcoming obstacles all the way through the different levels of absorptions, all of which involve deep experiences of mental unification. Throughout, mindfulness has the task of establishing and maintaining the kind of mental presence that enables a precise appraisal of the current condition of the body and the mind.

Mindfulness-based interventions are effective as curative and preventative approaches to psychological health. However, the mechanisms by which outcomes are secured from such interventions when delivered in the workplace, and to a stressed workforce, are not well understood. The aim of the present study was to elicit and analyse accounts from past participants of a workplace mindfulness intervention in order to generate a preliminary model of how positive benefits appear to be secured. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were completed with 21 employees of a higher education institution who had completed an eight-week intervention based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, adapted for the workplace. Interviews invited participants to recount their experiences of the intervention and its impact, if any, on their work life. Aspects of the interview data that pertained to intervention experience and positive benefits were analysed using a version of grounded theory, leading to the generation of a provisional model of how positive change occurred. The model suggests that discrete, temporal experiences build on each other to generate multiple, positive benefits. As anticipated in mindfulness-based interventions, enhanced attentional capacity was important, but our provisional model also suggests that resonance, self-care, detection of stress markers, perceiving choice, recovering self-agency and upward spiralling may be central mechanisms that lead to positive outcomes. Understanding mechanisms of change may help support participant engagement and trust in work-based mindfulness programmes, and enhance participants’ ability to apply mindfulness in their work life.