Mindfulness training supported by a restorative natural setting: Integrating individual and environmental approaches to the management of adaptive resources - Restoration skills training (ReST) in a natural setting compared to conventional mindfulness training: Sustained advantages at a 6-month follow-up

Per Lindberg

doi:10.5878/prw6-k648

Mindfulness training supported by a restorative natural setting: Integrating individual and environmental approaches to the management of adaptive resources - Restoration skills training (ReST) in a natural setting compared to conventional mindfulness training: Sustained advantages at a 6-month follow-up

https://doi.org/10.5878/prw6-k648

This project integrates restorative environments research and mindfulness research: two disparate but related approaches to managing the demands of modern living. Both offer ways to improve attention regulation by detaching from routine mental contents and engaging with present experience. However, restoration works bottom-up, from supportive environmental features, while mindfulness meditation works top-down, through effortful training. Complementarities between the two are the foundations of restoration skills training (ReST), a five-week mindfulness-based course that uses mindful sensory exploration in a natural setting to build a meditative state effortlessly. As in conventional mindfulness training (CMT), ReST involves a learning structure to teach versatile adaptive skills. Data were collected in four rounds, with successively refined versions of ReST given in a botanic garden and formally matched CMT given indoors. Data were collected to test short-term outcomes of practice sessions and long-term course outcomes. These data form the basis of the analyses presented in (Lymeus et al. (2022) Mindfulness-based restoration skills training (ReST) in a natural setting compared to conventional mindfulness training: Sustained advantages at a 6-month follow-up. Frontiers in Psychology). Note that some variables (marked T1 and T2) are also available in a related dataset (https://doi.org/10.5878/p34t-9j15Opens in a new tab) and were used in (Lymeus et al. (2020) Mindfulness-based restoration skills training (ReST) in a natural setting compared to conventional mindfulness training: Psychological functioning after a five-week course. Frontiers in Psychology) and were reused by Lymeus et al. in 2022 as background for the follow-up analyses. Data were collected before, immediately after, and six months after two different five-week mindfulness training courses: restoration skills training (ReST) and conventional mindfulness training, between which participants were randomly assigned. The participants were university students who experienced stress or concentration problems. The procedure was repeated in four rounds of data collection during which the ReST course was progressively refined. The data set includes only participants who completed any of the courses during data collection rounds 2-4 (N = 97). The dataset includes original data containing some missing values and 30 datasets with multiple imputations containing complete data. Data were collected with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Baer et al. (2006). Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 13(1), 27-45.), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (Broadbent et al. (1982). The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and its correlates. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 21(1), 1-16.) and the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385-396).

Citation and access

Method and outcome

Unit of analysis:

Population:

University students with stress or concentration problems

Time method:

Longitudinal

Sampling procedure:

Description of sampling:

In each data collection round, we posted ﬂyers in several areas of our university campus, asking for volunteers for a study about mindfulness training. We particularly stated that we sought students with self-perceived stress or concentration problems but no other major health issues and with little or no meditation experience. Volunteers were called to a screening interview that included the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview (Lecrubier et al., 1997). Criteria for exclusion were based on Dobkin et al. (2012): We excluded those who indicated a history of neuropsychiatric disorder, psychoses, hypomanic or manic episodes or recurring depression, moderate to severe post-traumatic stress symptoms, serious self-harm, or suicide attempts; and those with any current moderate to severe psychiatric disorders, suicidal ideation, or ongoing psychological or psychiatric treatment. For the passive control condition in data collection round 4, we approached students in the campus environment asking for volunteers for a study. To be eligible, they had to certify that they had no major health issues and little or no meditation experience. Within each data collection round, eligible mindfulness training volunteers who provided informed consent to participate were stratiﬁed by gender and randomly assigned to either ReST or CMT. Altogether, 159 participants were assigned. Of them, 152 provided usable pre-course data. Additionally, 29 control group participants who provided informed consent were included in Round 4. In Round 1, the course participants could be accommodated in one ReST and one CMT course group. In the later rounds, which recruited larger numbers, participants were accommodated in multiple course groups of ≤12 participants. These met on diﬀerent weekdays. Participants self-selected a course group that ﬁt their schedule and could not switch groups during the course. Participation in the courses was free of charge. Participants could drop out at any time without facing any further requests or consequences. They were, however, promised three cinema tickets if they completed the course and all measurements in connection with the course. The control group participants were also promised three cinema tickets for completing all measurements. The mindfulness training participants who completed the courses in data collection rounds 2-4 were contacted again six months after the course and asked to complete follow-up assessments.

Time period(s) investigated:

2013-01-01 - 2017-12-31

Variables:

43

Number of individuals/objects:

97

Response rate/participation rate:

70%

Description of the response rate/participation rate:

Out of 97 contacted former mindfulness course participants, 67 responded to the six-month follow-up survey and the rest were included in analyses following multiple imputation of the missing data.

Data format/data structure:

Numeric

Data collection - Self-administered questionnaire: web based

Geographic coverage

Administrative information

Topic and keywords

Relations

Publications

Metadata

Version 1

Uppsala University

Citation and access

Creator/Principal investigator(s):

Research principal:

Data contains personal data:

Type of personal data:

Code key exists:

Sensitive personal data:

Citation:

Data access level:

Language:

Method and outcome

Unit of analysis:

Population:

Time method:

Sampling procedure:

Description of sampling:

Time period(s) investigated:

Variables:

Number of individuals/objects:

Response rate/participation rate:

Description of the response rate/participation rate:

Data format/data structure:

Data collection - Self-administered questionnaire: web based

Mode of collection:

Description of the mode of collection:

Time period(s) for data collection:

Data collector:

Sample size:

Number of responses:

Non response size:

Source of the data:

Instrument

Name:

Type:

Description of the instrument:

Name:

Type:

Description of the instrument:

Name:

Type:

Description of the instrument:

Geographic coverage

Geographic location:

Geographic description:

Administrative information

Responsible department/unit:

Ethics Review:

Topic and keywords

CESSDA Topic Classification:

Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2025:

Keywords:

Relations

Related research data:

Publications

Citation:

DOI:

Citation:

DOI:

Metadata