Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Mindfulness Practice on Emotional Reactivity and Recovery: Understanding Effects of Gender and Trait Self-compassion

ObjectivesMindfulness practice and trait self-compassion are promising coping resources to buffer against emotional stress reactivity and promote stress recovery. The potential variation in stress-buffering effects across gender is understudied. This study examined whether stress-buffering effects of a brief 20-min mindfulness practice and trait self-compassion vary by gender in a pilot randomized controlled trial.MethodUndergraduates (n = 55; 44% women, 56% men) were randomized to a brief mindfulness practice or control group activity and then immediately underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). We conducted repeated-measures ANCOVAs to examine whether there were effects of the mindfulness intervention with and without gender as a moderator (primary aim). We then examined whether trait self-compassion buffered against stress reactivity and aided in recovery while controlling for condition assignment, and if these effects varied by gender (secondary aim).ResultsGender significantly moderated the effect of the mindfulness practice. Men in the mindfulness condition reported reduced stress reactivity compared to men in the control condition, while there was no difference in stress reactivity across conditions for women. Gender also significantly moderated the effects of trait self-compassion such that women with higher self-compassion reported reduced stress reactivity and better recovery relative to women with lower self-compassion. Conversely and unexpectedly, men with higher self-compassion reported increased stress reactivity relative to men with lower self-compassion.ConclusionsDifferent coping resources (i.e., brief mindfulness practice and trait self-compassion) may be differentially effective across gender, indicating that future interventions may need to be tailored by gender.PreregistrationThis study was not preregistered.