IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION ON RESILIENCE AND EMOTION REGULATION AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Background: Medical students experience high stress, undermining well-being and learning. MBSR may enhance emotion regulation and resilience, mitigating distress. Objectives: To evaluate whether MBSR improves resilience, emotion regulation, anxiety, and academic performance. Methods: Quasi-experimental pretest–midpoint–posttest control-group design with 120 medical students (60 MBSR; 60 control). The MBSR group received eight weeks of training. Outcomes included anxiety, resilience (CD-RISC-10), and CGPA. Analyses included t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Groups were demographically comparable, except for age. Post-test between-group analyses showed significantly lower anxiety, higher resilience, and higher CGPA in the MBSR group (all p < .001; large effects). Within-group analyses confirmed significant pre–post gains. Longitudinal analyses showed progressive improvements across the program. Conclusions: MBSR was associated with large improvements in resilience, emotion regulation, and academic performance among medical students. Randomized trials with long-term follow-up are recommended