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Trait Mindfulness and Cardiovascular Reactivity and Recovery During a Laboratory Mental Stress Protocol in Young Adults

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2018, MA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences.
Cardiovascular disease is a major public health burden (Benjamin, et al., 2017; Feigin, 2016; Mendis, Puska, & Norrving, 2011), and has risk factors including high blood pressure (Benjamin et al., 2017), high resting heart rate (Aune et al., 2017), decreased heart rate variability (HRV) (Thayer, Yamamoto, & Brosschot, 2010), and stress (Lagraauw, Kuiper, & Bot, 2015; Spruill, 2010). Exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity (CVR), and delayed cardiovascular recovery in response to stress, is also believed to be a risk factor for heart disease, and the magnitude of CVR predicts other risk factors such as high blood pressure and heart rate (Brindle et al., 2016; Moseley & Linden, 2006). It has been demonstrated that cardiovascular reactivity can be attenuated with mindfulness interventions, which have been used as a means to reduce mental stress (Nyklicek, Mommersteeg, Van Beugen, Ramakers, & Van Boxtel, 2013; Steffen & Larson, 2015; Khoury, Sharma, Rush, & Fournier, 2015). Because mindfulness interventions are associated with reduced stress, attenuated reactivity, and faster recovery, it was hypothesized that high levels of trait mindfulness should also be associated with these benefits. Participants were 99 college students (22 male), aged 19.44 (SD = 1.44), from a Midwestern university. Trait mindfulness was assessed using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The laboratory stress protocol included a 10-minute baseline, a 5-minute speeded arithmetic stress task and a 14-minute recovery period. Hierarchical regressions were used to analyze whether trait mindfulness predicted stress, baseline measurements, cardiovascular reactivity, and cardiovascular recovery. Greater trait mindfulness was associated with lower perceived stress. However, trait mindfulness did not predict the physiological variables during baseline, cardiovascular reactivity, or cardiovascular recovery. Thus, whereas trait mindfulness may affect the perception of stress, the inclusion of mindfulness practice in comprehensive interventions may be necessary in order to produce physiological benefits.
Joel Hughes, PhD (Advisor)
David Fresco, PhD (Committee Member)
John Gunstad, PhD (Committee Member)
John Updegraff, PhD (Committee Member)
78 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ede, Jr., D. E. (2018). Trait Mindfulness and Cardiovascular Reactivity and Recovery During a Laboratory Mental Stress Protocol in Young Adults [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1524140223472705

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ede, Jr., David. Trait Mindfulness and Cardiovascular Reactivity and Recovery During a Laboratory Mental Stress Protocol in Young Adults. 2018. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1524140223472705.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ede, Jr., David. "Trait Mindfulness and Cardiovascular Reactivity and Recovery During a Laboratory Mental Stress Protocol in Young Adults." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1524140223472705

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)