Using mindfulness-based stress reduction group therapy to reduce perceived stress of vulnerable women in south of Iran

ABSTRACT

Provision of educational and health services to vulnerable women in drop-in centers can reduce their traumas. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) group therapy is a psychological intervention to reduce perceived stress these women. This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of MBSR group therapy in the perceived stress of 63 vulnerable women who referred to two drop-in centers in southeastern Iran. The participants were assigned into the intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 33) groups. The intervention group members were required to attend the MBSR intervention held in eight 90-minute sessions. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was administered to collect data before and one month after the MBSR. Based on the findings, the pre-test scores of perceived stress were not significantly different between the intervention (38.16 ± 6.04) and control (39.06 ± 5.30) groups (t = −0.62, p = 0.53). However, the perceived stress scores reduced significantly in the intervention group (30.20 ± 2.89) than the control group scores (37.96 ± 4.18) in the posttest (t = −8.35, P = 0.001). Given the significant reduction of perceived stress in participants after attending the MBSR group therapy, expert counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists are recommended to conduct this therapy to reduce perceived stress in vulnerable women.

KEYWORDS:

• Drop-in center
• group therapy
• mindfulness based stress reduction
• perceived stress
• vulnerable women

Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the officials of DICs and all women who generously participated in this study. We also appreciate Mrs. Mozhgan Rabani, the clinical psychologist, who cooperated with the research team in developing and delivering the educational content of the MBSR program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.