Efficacy of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Quality of Life of Young Adults with Adverse Childhood Experiences

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in improving the quality of life (QoL) of young adults aged 18–25 years with a history of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Given the profound long-term effects of ACEs on psychological and physical well-being, this study adopted a pre-experimental, one-group pre-test post-test design to assess whether an 8-week MBSR intervention could enhance participants’ QoL. A purposive convenient sample of 20 young adults was recruited from educational institutions willing to implement the program. Participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) and the WHOQOL-BREF to assess baseline ACE exposure and QoL. Following the MBSR intervention, post-test assessments were conducted using the same measures. All instruments demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21, where descriptive statistics summarized demographics, reliability analyses established consistency, and paired sample t-tests compared pre- and post-intervention QoL scores. Findings indicated significant improvements in quality of life after participation in the MBSR program, suggesting that mindfulness practices may serve as an effective intervention for mitigating the adverse effects of childhood trauma on young adults’ well-being.