Decreased Symptoms of Depression After Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Potential Moderating Effects of Religiosity, Spirituality, Trait Mindfulness, Sex, and Age

Abstract

Objective: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a secular meditation training program that reduces depressive symptoms. Little is known, however, about the degree to which a participant's spiritual and religious background, or other demographic characteristics associated with risk for depression, may affect the effectiveness of MBSR. Therefore, this study tested whether individual differences in religiosity, spirituality, motivation for spiritual growth, trait mindfulness, sex, and age affect MBSR effectiveness. Methods: As part of an open trial, multiple regression was used to analyze variation in depressive symptom outcomes among 322 adults who enrolled in an 8-week, community-based MBSR program. Results: As hypothesized, depressive symptom severity decreased significantly in the full study sample (d = 0.57; p < 0.01). After adjustment for baseline symptom severity, moderation analyses revealed no significant differences in the change in depressive symptoms following MBSR as a function of spirituality, religiosity, trait mindfulness, or demographic variables. Paired t tests found consistent, statistically significant ( p < 0.01) reductions in depressive symptoms across all subgroups by religious affiliation, intention for spiritual growth, sex, and baseline symptom severity. After adjustment for baseline symptom scores, age, sex, and religious affiliation, a significant proportion of variance in post-MBSR depressive symptoms was uniquely explained by changes in both spirituality (b = -0.15; p = 0.006) and mindfulness (b = -0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings suggest that MBSR, a secular meditation training program, is associated with improved depressive symptoms regardless of affiliation with a religion, sense of spirituality, trait level of mindfulness before MBSR training, sex, or age. Increases in both mindfulness and daily spiritual experiences uniquely explained improvement in depressive symptoms.

Brief mindfulness training reduces salivary IL-6 and TNF-α in young women with depressive symptomatology.

“…Furthermore, baseline levels of cytokines were not significantly correlated with baseline depressive symptoms (IL-6: r (59) = .22, p = .09; TNF-α: r (60) = −.053, p = .68), suggesting those with greater depressive symptoms did not merely have higher levels of inflammation at baseline. Although baseline depression did not moderate improvement in self-reported depressive symptoms following MBI, this finding is still consistent with recent literature showing MBIs may be a particularly effective treatment for those with greater baseline depressive symptom severity (Arch & Ayers, 2013; Greeson et al, 2015). While some evidence supports that MBIs are efficacious in reducing inflammatory markers (e.g., Carlson et al, 2007), a comprehensive review on this topic highlights that these effects are not always replicated (Black & Slavich, 2016), suggesting the presence of critical moderators.…”

“…Depressive symptoms and cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) were assessed at each timepoint. There were three hypotheses: Participation in a brief MBI, compared to contact-control condition, would reduce both depressive symptoms and inflammation at immediate post-intervention assessment, and that these changes would be sustained at a 3-month follow-up in the mindfulness group.Given recent evidence suggesting that greater baseline depression severity predicts a stronger beneficial effect of MBIs on psychological symptoms (e.g., Greeson et al, 2015), we predicted that individuals with greater baseline depressive symptoms would show greater reductions in self-reported depression and inflammation (controlling for one's baseline levels of depression and inflammation).The impact of mindfulness training on inflammation would be mediated by changes in depressive symptoms.…”

The effects of mindfulness training on weight-loss and health-related behaviours in adults with overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Moreover, mindfulness includes a de-6 automation element (i.e., a skill to reduce automatic thoughts and behaviors) that can be 7 effective in reducing of impulsive eating [43]. In addition, given that impulsive eating among 8 individuals with obesity is related to difficulties to cope with psychological distress [13], and 9 that mindfulness is related to the reduction of stress and depressed mood [44], mindfulness 10 training may be beneficial in the reduction of disordered eating by helping individuals 11 manage their psychological distress.…”

“…investigations showing that women tend to be more interested and motivated to engage in 15 mindfulness-based interventions, and, as a consequence, they are more likely to respond to 16 such treatment programs than men [44,73].…”

Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients: The Association with Religiosity and Religious Coping

“…There is a growing body of evidence that religious commitment or religiosity can buffer depression and support the healing process in medical illness (Koenig et al 1998a;Greeson et al 2015;Ronneberg et al 2016), leading to greater life satisfaction and improved psychological health (McCullough et al 2000;Aukst-Margetić et al 2002) Religiosity is multidimensional sociological term. It covers different aspects such as involvement in religion activities, intrinsic faith, belief, religious attitudes and practices, and religious identification and affiliation (Musick et al 1998;Garssen and de Jager Meezenbroek 2007;Hood et al 1996).…”