Developing Psychological Capital through Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Therapy

Many people find it hard to cope with the pressures of modern living. Every day, a quarter of a million people miss work because of stress, with 75 percent of all illnesses thought to be stress-related. And when times are hard, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Cultivating mindfulness is the key to overcome suffering and recognize natural wisdom: both our own and others'. This research paper focuses on Developing Psychological Capital (Hope, Self-efficacy, Resilience and Optimism) through Mindfulness Therapy. A sample of 186 adults (77 M, 109 F) aged 21 to 65 years was randomly selected for research. Of whom 136 adults (52 M, 84 F) completed six measures: The Hope Scale, The General Self-efficacy scale, 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14), The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for screening the participants with high depression and anxiety. The screened 64 (32 M, 32 F) participants were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental group (32adults: 16 M, 16 F) and control group (32 adults: 16 M, 16 F). Participants in experimental group received Mindfulness Therapy for 8 weeks. The results obtained by applying paired samples t-test indicated a significant improvement in all the four constructs of Psychological Capital (Hope, Self-efficacy, Resilience and Optimism) and reduction in Depression and Anxiety.