Mindfulness, Emotional Well-being, and Sleep Quality

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.

mindfulness, meditation, stress, rumination, emotion regulation, sleep quality, spirituality, quality of life

Participation will involve online completion of a questionnaire survey before and after the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention. Specifically, research study participants will complete validated self-report measures to assess mindfulness, cognitive-emotional processes, sleep quality, symptoms of stress, sense of spirituality, and quality of life before and after the MBSR intervention.

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.

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).

Inclusion Criteria: Enrollment in a self-pay MBSR course at Duke Integrative Medicine Must be able to speak and read English Exclusion Criteria (Apply to Duke's MBSR program, and thus to the research study): Active substance abuse/dependence Severe mental illness Difficulty being redirected to task in a group setting

Greeson JM. Mindfulness Research Update: 2008. Complement Health Pract Rev. 2009 Jan 1;14(1):10-18. doi: 10.1177/1533210108329862.

Greeson JM, Webber DM, Smoski MJ, Brantley JG, Ekblad AG, Suarez EC, Wolever RQ. Changes in spirituality partly explain health-related quality of life outcomes after Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. J Behav Med. 2011 Dec;34(6):508-18. doi: 10.1007/s10865-011-9332-x. Epub 2011 Mar 1.

http://www.dukeintegrativemedicine.org/index.php/2009012037/classes-workshops-events/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction.html