Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Feasibility and Estimated Effects

Abstract

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.