Stress Reactivity, Depressive Symptoms, and Mindfulness: A Gulf Arab Perspective

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

International Perspectives in Psychology Research Practice Consultation

Publication Date

7-1-2016

Abstract

Explorations of the relationship between stress reactivity and depression are relatively scarce outside of Europe and North America. This research examined the relationship between emotional reactivity to daily life stressors (stress reactivity) and depressive symptoms among citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Emirati college students ( N = 286, 76% females) completed a culturally grounded measure of daily life stress, along with measures of depression and anxiety symptoms. Stress reactivity was associated with elevated depression and anxiety symptoms. In a second study, we examined the efficacy of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program within the same population. Emirati College women ( N = 24) were randomly assigned to either an 8-week MBSR program or a waiting list control group (WLC). MBSR participants demonstrated significantly greater reductions in stress reactivity and depressive symptoms compared with the WLC group. These findings extend the stress reactivity literature to an Arabian Gulf nation. Interventions that help young adults better manage responses to daily life stress may play an important role in reducing the prevalence of depressive illness in the region.

ISSN

2157-3891

Publisher

Hogrefe Publishing Group

Volume

5

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

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