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The Effects of Mindfulness Training on Emotional Health in Chinese Long-Term Male Prison Inmates

Mindfulness volume 7, pages 1044–1051 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Long-term imprisonment can cause severe emotional problems, which in turn can trigger behavioral problems, self-harm, and suicide. Mindfulness-based intervention can enhance emotional health. This study investigated the effects of a 6-week mindfulness training program on the emotional health of long-term male Chinese prison inmates. Forty long-term male prisoners completed a pretest and posttest, with 19 in the mindfulness training group and 21 in the waitlist control group. The treatment group showed a significant improvement in mindfulness level, anxiety, depression, tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, confusion-bewilderment, and total mood disturbance. Implications and limitations of this study were discussed. These results support the use of a mindfulness-based intervention to enhance the emotional health of long-term male prison inmates.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Project 31271114). The authors thank Qian Zhang and Yuzheng Wang for their invaluable assistance in the statistical analysis and manuscript revision for this study. The authors would also thank Leigh Andrews for the proofreading work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Xu, Kun Jia & Xinghua Liu

  2. School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Xu

  3. Boston University, Boston, USA

    Stefan G. Hofmann

Authors
  1. Wei Xu
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  2. Kun Jia
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  3. Xinghua Liu
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  4. Stefan G. Hofmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xinghua Liu.

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The study received ethical approval from the Academic Committee of the Department of Psychology, College of Education, Capital Normal University. No adverse events were reported in this study.

Funding

This study was funded by the National Science Foundation of China (Project 31271114).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Xu, W., Jia, K., Liu, X. et al. The Effects of Mindfulness Training on Emotional Health in Chinese Long-Term Male Prison Inmates. Mindfulness 7, 1044–1051 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0540-x

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