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- Title
Brief mindfulness session improves mood and increases salivary oxytocin in psychology students.
- Authors
Bellosta‐Batalla, Miguel; Blanco‐Gandía, María; Rodríguez‐Arias, Marta; Cebolla, Ausiàs; Pérez‐Blasco, Josefa; Moya‐Albiol, Luis
- Abstract
Mindfulness‐based interventions (MBI) have been shown to be effective in increasing empathy in health professionals. Yet, more research is needed to analyse the specific influence of mindfulness exercises on biological variables involved in empathy, such as the biological system of oxytocin activity. In this study, we analyse the effects of a brief mindfulness session on positive and negative affect, state anxiety and salivary oxytocin (sOXT) in psychology students (N = 68). In the experimental group (n = 42), a mindfulness session was performed that included different guided meditation exercises. In the control group (n = 26), an emotion recognition exercise was carried out, along with a series of creative activities. Results showed that the mindfulness session was effective, because there was a significant reduction in negative affect (d = −.56, p <.001) and state anxiety (d = −.54, p =.007) in the experimental group. Likewise, there was an increase in sOXT (d =.99, p <.001) in this group, compared with the control group. Guided mindfulness meditation practice could be useful to reach an emotional and biological state that facilitates empathy. In this regard, the increase in sOXT after the mindfulness session adds further evidence about the biological mechanisms underlying the benefits of MBI on empathy.
- Subjects
AFFECT (Psychology); ANXIETY; EMPATHY; MEDITATION; OXYTOCIN; SALIVA; STATISTICAL sampling; RANDOMIZED controlled trials; MINDFULNESS
- Publication
Stress & Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 2020, Vol 36, Issue 4, p469
- ISSN
1532-3005
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/smi.2942