Friday Factoid: Engagement in Mindfulness-Based Interventions

Like most psychological interventions, mindfulness-based interventions cannot help when individuals fail to engage in them. A randomized clinical trial (RCT) conducted by Barkan et al. (2016) examined 100 individuals (62% female, sample mean age = 72) in a community sample of older adults. The study used four mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) techniques including body scanning, informal meditation, sitting meditation, and yoga. The 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3 was used to measure dimensions of personality. In this study, 50% of the sample failed to engage in the program. The personality constructs of agreeableness and openness predicted greater use of the techniques in the MBSR program during treatment and at follow-up. The study controlled for differences in demographics such as age, sex, and education level. The study did not address barriers to participation, which can skew the interpretation of participant’s perceived acceptability of the intervention based on their willingness to engage in the treatment.

References

Barkan, T., Hoerger, M., Gallegos, A. M., Turiano, N. A., Duberstein, P. R., & Moynihan, J. A. (2016). Personality predicts utilization of mindfulness-based stress reduction during and post-intervention in a community sample of older adults. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 22(5), 390-395. doi:10.1089/acm.2015.0177

Blake Palmer, MA, LPA
Doctoral Psychology Intern