MBSR has been developed and studied since the 1970s for its impact on mental health, pain management and wellbeing.
It has been shown to reduce anxiety levels by 58% and stress by 40%. In a research study by Oxford University into individuals with problematic levels of stress, a significant improvement in perceived levels of stress over the course of the mindfulness intervention was found.
The findings of this research were consistent with other studies, which showed that changes in mindfulness precede changes in perceived stress.