Mindfulness and stress. Who does it help?

Mindfulness - being aware in the present moment in an open and non-judgemental fashion - is used to help with a number of different psychological problems. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been shown to be helpful to people but there has been little research into whether it is more effective in certain people or not. Researchers from Santa Clara University in California studied 30 people. 15 of them formed a control group while 15 of them received MBSR. MBSR was found to increase mindfulness, wellbeing and empathy in assessments carried out two and 12 months later. However, those participants who already had the highest levels of mindfulness before the MBSR treatment started showed the greatest levels of improvement.

Shapiro, Shauna L. - The Moderation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Effects by Trait Mindfulness: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial Journal of Clinical Psychology doi: 10.1002/jclp.20761