Mechanisms of Mindfulness Training and Stress Reduction

This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial of a mindfulness stress reduction intervention, with the aim of dismantling the experience-monitoring and nonjudgmental-acceptance elements of mindfulness programs to determine the active treatment component. In addition to enhancing understanding of mechanisms underlying the effects of mindfulness interventions, identifying the therapeutic constituent(s) could inform development of targeted interventions as well as provide strategies to optimize adherence.

There is a growing body of randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence indicating that mindfulness training interventions may reduce stress and improve stress-related disease outcomes. Yet little is known about the underlying active training mechanisms of mindfulness training. Although it is generally believed that mindfulness training interventions foster a capacity to monitor and accept present moment experience, debate currently focuses on whether it is the capacity to both monitor and non-judgmentally accept experience that drives the salutary effects observed in mindfulness training interventions. This project will test these putative active mechanisms by comparing two different types of mindfulness meditation training programs. N=135 stressed community adults will be recruited and randomized to either two different types of 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs or a No Treatment Control (assessment only) comparison condition. Participants will complete 3 days of daily experience sampling (Ecological Momentary Assessment) immediately before and after the 8-week intervention period to measure attentional control and stress perceptions in daily life. In order to measure psychological and HPA-axis stress reactivity to a controlled stressor, participants will also complete a standardized acute stress challenge task (the Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) immediately following the 3-day post-intervention assessment period. This project provides the first dismantling study of mindfulness meditation training, it utilizes cutting-edge daily experience sampling of real life stress (using EMA) and stress biomarkers (salivary cortisol), and will provide important initial information for designing more effective (and efficient) mindfulness training interventions in at-risk stressed patient populations.

Mindfulness training intervention consisting of eight weekly 2.5 hour group sessions, a day-long retreat in the sixth week, and daily home mindfulness meditation

Mindful attention only training intervention consisting of eight weekly 2.5 hour group sessions, a day-long retreat in the sixth week, and daily home mindfulness meditation

No treatment participants will be informed that their participation is important and that they are requested to not seek out similar treatments during this waiting period.

Mindfulness training practices aim to foster attention and acceptance toward one's present moment experience. Mindfulness consists of two components-- (1) deploying attention to monitor one's moment-to-moment experience, and (2) fostering an attitude of acceptance toward one's moment-to-moment experience

assessed at post-intervention, which is an average of 14, at time 0, and 25, 35, and 60 minutes post-stress challenge

Inclusion Criteria: English speaking Moderate- to high-stress Owns an internet-enabled smart phone Exclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of chronic mental (e.g. recurrent depression, schizophrenia, personality disorder) or physical disease (e.g. cancer, HIV, diabetes) Hospitalization in past 3 months Medication use that interferes with cortisol activity (e.g. corticosteroids) Current oral contraceptive use Pregnancy Current antibiotic, antiviral, or antimicrobial treatment Travel outside the country within the past 6 months to any country on the Center for Disease Control travel alert list Recreational drug use, excessive alcohol or tobacco use Significant experience with or daily practice of mindfulness meditation or related mind-body practice

Chin B, Lindsay EK, Greco CM, Brown KW, Smyth JM, Wright AGC, Creswell JD. Mindfulness interventions improve momentary and trait measures of attentional control: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2021 Apr;150(4):686-699. doi: 10.1037/xge0000969. Epub 2020 Sep 24.

Chin B, Lindsay EK, Greco CM, Brown KW, Smyth JM, Wright AGC, Creswell JD. Psychological mechanisms driving stress resilience in mindfulness training: A randomized controlled trial. Health Psychol. 2019 Aug;38(8):759-768. doi: 10.1037/hea0000763. Epub 2019 May 23.

Lindsay EK, Chin B, Greco CM, Young S, Brown KW, Wright AGC, Smyth JM, Burkett D, Creswell JD. How mindfulness training promotes positive emotions: Dismantling acceptance skills training in two randomized controlled trials. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2018 Dec;115(6):944-973. doi: 10.1037/pspa0000134.