A quantitative study of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction treatment, using an Internet-delivered self-help program, for women with generalized anxiety disorder

This is the first randomized controlled study examining the effectiveness of the Internet version of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSRi) for women between 25 and 50 years old who had been previously diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). It was hypothesized that the effectiveness of the MBSRi program will be demonstrated by a comparison between the mean post-test scores between the experimental group and the wait list control group. An analysis of the mean post-test scores indicated significant differences. The results supported the alternative hypothesis for the effectiveness of the MBSRi program in reducing anxiety, increasing well-being and increasing mindfulness. However, these results should be taken in the context of this sample of women with GAD and caution should be demonstrated in generalizing these findings to a multi-cultural, diverse population.