Stress, Physiological, Stress, Psychological
Conditions
Brief summary
The primary purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between mindfulness and stress habituation. The investigators propose to measure the effect of mindfulness on stress habituation by randomly assigning participants to a 6-week mindfulness-based stress reduction group intervention, a cognitive-behavioral skills group comparison intervention, or a waitlist control condition followed by repeated acute psychosocial stress testing (2 laboratory sessions on 2 separate days). Saliva will be collected from participants throughout both laboratory testing sessions to measure HPA axis activation (an essential stress-responsive system), along with other measures of physiological and psychological stress (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, emotions). Mediators and moderators of treatment outcome will be examined. The cognitive-behavioral skills group condition is an appropriate comparison group due to the well-documented efficacy of cognitive-behavioral interventions on stress.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMindfulness Based Stress Reduction
A modified version of traditional MBSR. The current study's version of MBSR is shortened to 6-weeks.
BEHAVIORALCognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Group
A 6-week, 2-hour per group, skills group that focuses on various cognitive-behavioral skills for stress reduction (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation; cognitive restructuring).
Sponsors
Ohio University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* English-speaking adults who are between the ages of 18-50, who are in general good health * Perceived stress scores (PSS) \> 3 on a screening survey
Exclusion criteria
* reported previous completion of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program. * reported pregnancy * reported use of steroid medication * presence of a major psychiatric or endocrine disorder (e.g., Major Depression, Cushings Disease; self-reported) * reported regular wake time after 10:00 AM on a weekday
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Stress Scale | Baseline and 6-weeks after baseline. | A 10-item self-report measure that examines perceived stress. The measure produces one total score. The investigators will measure the change in total score from baseline to the 6-week assessment. |
| Salivary cortisol response to repeated acute psychosocial stress | Post-intervention (approximately 7-14 weeks after baseline assessment) | 4 saliva samples will be collected before and after a psychosocial stressor task, which will be administered on two separate occasions separated in time by at least 48 hours. All saliva samples will be assayed for salivary cortisol using enzyme-linked immunoassays. The investigators will measure the change in cortisol stress profiles from the first stressor exposure to the second. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dispositional Mindfulness | Baseline and 6-weeks | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire |
| State rumination | Post-intervention (approximately 7-14 weeks after baseline assessment) | Thoughts Questionnaire (TQ). The investigators will measure the change in state rumination from the first stressor exposure to the second. |
| Equanimity | Baseline and 6-weeks | The Non-Attachment Scale |
| Smoking | Baseline and 6-weeks | Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence |
| Alcohol | Baseline and 6-weeks | Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption items |
| Marijuana | Baseline and 6-weeks | Single item assessing frequency of marijuana use |
| Perceived control over thoughts | Baseline and 6 weeks | Thought Control Ability Questionnaire |
| Coping Skills | Baseline and 6-weeks | Brief-COPE measure |
| Depressed mood | Baseline and 6-weeks | Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale |
| Anxiety | Baseline and 6-weeks later | Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory |
| Social Connectedness | Baseline and 6-weeks | Social Connectedness Scale-Revised |
| Cardiovascular response to repeated acute psychosocial stress | Post-intervention (approximately 7-14 weeks after baseline assessment) | Heart rate and blood pressure will be assessed non-invasively and periodically before, during, and after non-invasively a psychosocial stressor task, with an Omron Health Care HEM-907XL Professional Blood Pressure Monitor. The investigators will measure the change in heart rate and blood pressure stress profiles from the first stressor exposure to the second. |
| Worry | Baseline and 6-weeks | Penn State Worry Questionnaire |
| Experiential Avoidance | Baseline and 6-weeks | Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II |
| Emotion Regulation | Baseline and 6-weeks | Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale |
| Negative Urgency | Baseline and 6-weeks | UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale: Negative Urgency Items |
| Chronic Stress | Baseline and 6-weeks | Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress |
| Sleep | Baseline and 6-weeks | Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index |
| State Affect | Post-intervention (approximately 7-14 weeks after baseline assessment) | Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) will be used to assess state affect and specific emotions several times before and after a psychosocial stressor task. The investigators will measure the change in emotion response profiles from the first stressor exposure to the second. |
| State mindfulness | Post-intervention (approximately 7-14 weeks after baseline assessment) | Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) - state version. The investigators will measure the change in state mindfulness from the first stressor exposure to the second. |
| Implicit association between self and shame | Post-intervention (approximately 7-14 weeks after baseline assessment) | A shame experience and self implicit association test will be used to measure experiential self-referential processing of present moment shame. The investigators will measure the change in implicit association between self and shame from the first stressor exposure to the second. |
| Stress appraisals | Post-intervention (approximately 7-14 weeks after baseline assessment) | Cognitive task appraisals will be assessed before and after a psychosocial stressor task. The investigators will measure the change in appraisals from the first stressor exposure to the second. |
| Optimism | Baseline and 6-weeks | Life Orientation Test |
| Autonomic response to repeated acute psychosocial stress | Post-intervention (approximately 7-14 weeks after baseline assessment) | Heart rate variability will be assessed continuously before, during, and after non-invasively a psychosocial stressor task, with a MP150 device manufactured by BIOPAC. The investigators will measure the change in heart rate variability stress profiles from the first stressor exposure to the second. |
Outcome results
None listed