Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: Objective: To examine the effects of a daily, 10-minute mindfulness meditation intervention administered online through Mechanical Turk over a two-week period on the intensity of anxiety, perceived stress, and reported sleep quality in participants pre-screened for general anxiety symptoms. Method: One hundred and forty-eight participants pre-screened for mild or greater general anxiety symptoms and mild or greater difficulty sleeping were recruited through Mechanical Turk. Participants’ baseline levels of anxiety, perceived stress, and sleep quality were assessed. They then were randomized to the mindfulness meditation intervention (n = 74) or wait list control group (n = 74). Following the two-week intervention period, participants completed post-questionnaires that assessed levels of anxiety, perceived stress and sleep quality. Results: Participants in the meditation group had significantly decreased levels of general anxiety and perceived stress, and increased sleep quality in comparison to the wait-list control group, ps < .05. Conclusions: Significant short-term benefits on anxiety, stress, and sleep quality resulted from a two-week, 10 minute a day mindfulness meditation training. Further research is needed to examine the duration of these benefits and the mechanisms of action that account for them.
Author: Travis Usinger
Institution: University of Colorado Boulder
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2301141652