The relationship between trait mindfulness and heart rate during stress
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Abstract
Chronic stress can lead to adverse physical and psychological outcomes. Empirical research demonstrates that mindfulness-interventions can serve as an effective stress-management strategy. Furthermore, individuals who are naturally more mindful (i.e., displaying higher trait mindfulness) can attenuate their psychological appraisal of stress, which may influence their physiological response (e.g., heart rate [HR]) to a stressor. The aim of the present study was to examine whether trait mindfulness predicted HR reactivity and recovery to a lab stressor. To achieve this, University of Regina students (n = 110, 78% female, ๐๐๐๐ = 21.5) were recruited via the Psychology Departmentโs Participant Pool. Participants partook in a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST; Kirschbaum, Pirke, & Hellhammer, 1993). HR was measured before, during and after the laboratory stressor to assess physiological reactivity and recovery from stress. Participants subsequently completed several questionnaires examining demographic information, depression, and trait mindfulness. A paired samples t-test revealed that HR significantly increased during the TSST, implying the success of the manipulation to induce stress (p < .001). Trait mindfulness was positively correlated with HR reactivity. However, a hierarchical regression test revealed that trait mindfulness did not significantly predict HR recovery to the TSST, over and above demographic and depressive symptomatology scores (p = .135). Nonetheless, studying the moderating effects of trait mindfulness and how it influences cardiovascular functioning remains an important research endeavor. Trait mindfulness can provide insights into the efficacy of mindfulness-interventions ability to reduce stress in at-risk and general populations.