Een Studie naar de Bruikbaarheid en het Effect van een Individuele 2-Weekse Online Mindfulness-Training

Abstract

Background: Based on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction intervention (MBSR) from Kabat-Zinn and the recently developed Content Management System (CMS) from Sorbi, originally developed to offer a training for self-management through the internet to patients with chronic migraine (MyMigraine), an individual two week long online mindfulness training (MyMind) was created and evaluated on its feasibility and effectiveness. Methods: This investigation used a randomized controlled design to evaluate the effect of MyMind on mindfulness (MAAS), perceived stress (PSS) and quality of live (WHOQoL-Bref) in a group of 66 academic students from Utrecht University. Participants were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness intervention group (N=33) or a waiting list control group (N=33). The computer administered questionnaires were completed shortly before the start of the intervention (T1) and immediately after the stop of the intervention (T2) in both groups. After the waiting time, the control group also completed the training and again filled in the questionnaires (T3). State questions, based on the seven attitudinal factors described by Kabat-Zinn, were assessed before and after meditation exercise to investigate the immediate effect on mindfulness attitudes. An evaluation questionnaire was administered to check for feasibility of MyMind. Within a primary analysis the mindfulness intervention group and the control group were compared on the three dependent variables. A secondary analysis was executed to replicate the effects of the primary analysis. Possible effects on the state attitude were also investigated. Results: Feasibility of MyMind was satisfactory. Forty-four of 66 participants completed the training (66%). Compared to the control group, participants in the mindfulness group showed a significant decline in perceived stress and a significant increase in quality of live. This result could be replicated during the secondary analysis. Furthermore participants showed a significant increase in state mindfulness attitudes during mindfulness exercises compared to their state attitude before the exercise. Conclusion: MyMind is a feasable online training and shows promising effects on stress and quality of life. There are many technical facilities which could be added to the CMS to further elaborate MyMind.