Stress-Reducing Effects of Group-Based Mindfulness Meditation Training

Abstract

College students practiced group-based mindfulness meditation training every day for two weeks. Fifteen students each in the training and control groups completed a questionnaire on stress responses four times (before training, one week after training began, and just after and two weeks after training ended). The trained students also answered a decentering measure at the same four times and evaluated their mood states before and after everyday meditation. Both the trained students and the controls reported lower depression two weeks after the training ended. The trained students’ mood states also changed to being pleasant after the daily meditation.