Self-administered mindfulness interventions reduce stress in a large, randomized controlled multi-site study.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Mental Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Mindfulness interventions have surged in popularity, particularly digital, self-administered options.
• The efficacy of these interventions in reducing stress remains uncertain.
• Growing accessibility of digital mindfulness tools necessitates rigorous scientific evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of four standalone mindfulness exercises in reducing self-reported stress.
• To compare the stress-reducing effects of mindfulness exercises against an active control group.
• To identify which specific mindfulness techniques yield the greatest stress reduction.

Main Methods:

• A preregistered, multi-site randomized controlled trial involving 2,239 participants.
• Participants were assigned to one of four mindfulness exercises or an active control condition.
• Bayesian mixed-effects models were employed to analyze stress reduction outcomes.

Main Results:

• All tested mindfulness exercises were more efficacious than the active control in reducing stress.
• A mean difference of 0.27 (Cohen's d = -0.56) was observed between the control and the most effective condition (body scan).
• The body scan mindfulness exercise demonstrated the largest effect size for stress reduction.

Conclusions:

• Mindfulness practices, including the body scan, show potential for reducing short-term, self-reported stress.
• Findings suggest mindfulness may be a beneficial tool for stress management, particularly for English speakers in higher-income countries.
• Further research may explore long-term effects and diverse populations.