Abstract
Background and ObjectiveIn today’s fast-paced modern lifestyle, chronic stress has become a serious issue with potential consequences for our physical and mental health. The concept of mindfulness and its derived Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program is considered to be an effective stress management technique for patients as well as for healthy persons. The effects of MBSR interventions on their participants have been subject of previous research, especially with regard to psychological or social science approaches using self-reports and questionnaires. In contrast, medical investigations in this field have been less frequent and often somehow limited, for example, addressing only absolute (discrete) mean values for heart rate or blood pressure.MethodsIn this study, we have evaluated a Mindfulness Based Student Training program (MBST) by applying methods of biosignal analysis to examine its impact on the training participants’ autonomic regulation. This intervention program included classical MBSR elements but was adapted to suit the normal daily needs of university students. We obtained the electrocardiogram, finger-pulse plethysmography, and respiration activity from students participating in either the intervention group (IGR, 38 subjects) or a passive control group (CON, 35 subjects) prior to and after 8 weeks of MBST intervention.ResultsWhen comparing various indices from heart rate variability, pulse wave variability, and respiration in linear and nonlinear domains, significant changes in the autonomic regulation were observed for the IGR group after 8 weeks of MBST.ConclusionThe results indicate a reduced stress level exclusively for the intervention participants, and therefore, we assume a health benefit from the MBST program.
Highlights
Mindfulness and mindfulness meditation, as a medical treatment program, were first introduced by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s (Kabat-Zinn, 1982) and characterized as an awareness of the present moment and “means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1990; Kabat-Zinn, 1994)
Cultural context of its origins (Kabat-Zinn, 2011). It was the basis for the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program as a treatment protocol to mediate mindfulness to patients with chronic pain in the first place but, later, to other patients as well as healthy individuals with a wide range of health conditions (Kabat-Zinn, 1990)
MBSR is considered to be an effective method for stress reduction and a technique for stress management in many areas of life (Frank et al, 2013; Smith, 2014; Stefan et al, 2018)
Summary
Mindfulness and mindfulness meditation, as a medical treatment program, were first introduced by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s (Kabat-Zinn, 1982) and characterized as an awareness of the present moment and “means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1990; Kabat-Zinn, 1994). We applied a specific type of stress reduction method, which has been optimized for students (MindfulnessBased Student Training—MBST) including classical elements of MBSR interventions This training was accompanied by measuring several medical biosignals. Based on the findings of the aforementioned literature on the positive effects of MBSR and similar mindfulness interventions, we assume that the MBST intervention will result in physiological stress reduction and health benefits for our university students. This work is part of an interdisciplinary project to introduce MBST courses into the daily life of university students with the aim of enabling the participants to develop and maintain an independent daily practice of 15–20 min Based on this integration into the daily routine, a more conscious handling of stress (resulting in a certain stress reduction) as well as improved emotional regulation and self-organization, especially at exam time, should be taught. A social science-related study (another objective of this project) is currently under investigation
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