Addressing Americas Stress Epidemic: Is Mindfulness the Answer?

May, 2015 | By Katie-Rose Nunziato

IT IS MAY, and for colleges across the country, this means that it is also time for those dreaded
finals weeks. Students can be found camping out at ungodly hours inside the school libraries, in queues
spilling out the doors of Starbucks and local coffee shops, and piling on pounds of makeup to hide the
dark circles rimmed under their eyes. While all of this has been written in good humor, it is true that as
the years go by, stress levels among teens and adults alike increase a great deal. The Stress in
America survey, sponsored by the American Psychological Association, reported as of 2013 that
forty-two percent of adults and thirty-one percent of teens have experienced increasing stress levels over
that past year alone.1 Evidence suggests that American teenagers, faced with increasing amounts of
stress, are exhibiting increasingly similar stress-related behaviors to adults, with their survey responses
aligning with that of the adult responses more closely each year.
In order to combat increasing levels of stress, the practice of mindfulness meditation has been
studied and integrated into Western health care practices. Originally a practice based in Buddhist
tradition and beliefs, mindfulness has taken on a more secular role in Western countries such as the
United States. Mental health professionals, researchers, celebrities, and CEO's alike have hailed the
practice as a godsend of sorts, the fix-all to a variety of issues, from chronic pain2 and mental disorders3,
to productivity in the workplace and business management4. Is mindfulness the solution to our national
mental health crisis, or is this simply another health fad that will eventually fade away over time?
...
Here in the United States, issues concerning stress and the effects of stress are increasingly
becoming a part of the national interest. From reputable newspapers like The New York Times and social
news and entertainment sites like Buzzfeed to scientific research papers and university-funded studies,
articles, blogs, and reports about stress, the negative effects of stress, and how to handle it can be found
anywhere and everywhere. With such a national presence, it comes to be no surprise that stress affects a
huge portion of the young adult and adult population. Stress affects a wide range of
behaviors.Forty-three percent of adults and thirty-five percent of teens report that stress has caused them
to lie awake at night.1 Thirty-eight percent of adults and twenty-six percent of teens admit to overeating
or consuming junk foods due to stress.1 Studies have discovered statistically significant comorbidities
between stress-related illnesses, such as Panic Disorder, and other chronic physical illnesses, such as
arthritis, asthma, hypertension, and ulcers.5 More recent studies have shown that in the United States,
parents, younger generations, and people living in lower-income households report levels of stress that
are higher than the average national response.6 Among Millennials, eighty-two percent of the population
reported experiencing at least one symptom of stress in the past month.6 To add to these concerning
statistics, evidence shows that chronic stress is positively correlated with the development of mood
disorders, such as anxiety and depression.7 Recent reports on the economic burden of stress in the US
estimate that job-related stress costs the American industry around three hundred billion dollars a year in
absenteeism, turnover, decreased productivity and on-the-job accidents, with health care expenditures as
much as fifty percent greater for workers with reported high levels of stress.7
One of the many approaches at addressing the increasing burden of stress in America is the
practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness in the West found its roots when Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh
engaged in conversations with United States and across the Western world to spread his message of
mindfulness and compassion, influencing leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.8 It became popularized
after Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn created his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at the University of
Massachusetts in 1979.9 His program began with the intent to reduce symptoms in patients suffering
from chronic pain. Now, the program has expanded to treat patients dealing with a wide range of issues,
from heart disease and cancer to mood disorders and sleep disturbances.2 Studies have shown that
mindfulness meditation can alleviate stress just after 25 minutes.10 Practicing mindfulness meditation for
at least two months can boost the bodys immune system.11 Other research shows that engaging in
mindful eating practices encourages healthier eating habits and can help fight obesity.12
So, what exactly is mindfulness, you ask? Mindfulness, according to clinical psychologists, is
the practice of observation without judgment. It is the practice of awareness in the present moment.13
Mindfulness, while not a tool that can necessarily change ones situation in life, can help people

experience these situations differently, allowing people to reduce perceived negative emotions by
viewing their emotions objectively and accepting their current state instead of fighting it. While many
view mindfulness practices as largely beneficial, there is still some criticism of the Western adaptation
to the Eastern practice. Critics worry that by stripping mindfulness of its Buddhist roots, the new wave
of mindfulness followers are exploiting the practice, as seen with programs put forth by the U.S. military,
for example, to implement mindfulness meditation programs meant to increase performance and
improve cognitive resilience of active duty soldiers.14 Buddhist traditions, and meditation practices have
always been grounded with the knowledge of karma, the knowledge that our actions make a difference.
By taking away the moral values prevalent in Buddhism, some argue that the West is doing more harm
than good, in terms of bringing awareness to Eastern traditions. In addition, only one out of four studies
done as of 2011 have found that incorporation of mindfulness into psychological therapies translate to
long-term treatment outcomes.15 Researchers are currently unsure on why this is, but speculate that the
issues presented from the three other studies suggest that there is more to mindfulness than simply
meditation.
Either way, as evidence largely points towards the benefits of mindfulness16, the pros outweigh
the cons. Addressing concerns towards cultural appropriation of Buddhist practices, the Buddhist monk
Thich Nhat Hanh has spoken out, saying that as long as people practice true mindfulness, it doesnt
matter what original intentions are, because if true mindfulness is practiced, their perspectives on life
will change, causing them to view life through a more compassionate lens.17 This altering of certain
aspects of mindfulness to fit different needs is therefore, at least for Thich Nhat Hanh, okay as long as
its essence remains.
With that being said, as some of the most stressed out members of the population attend
post-secondary schools, colleges and universities should make it a priority to address issues concerning
stress and mental health to students. It would truly be a shame to see such an evidence-based and
beneficial practice ignored by higher education institutions, with the potential that mindfulness has to
offer. Critiques on the cultural shortcomings of Western mindfulness practices should not be ignored
especially in the case of military and corporate adaptations of the practice, but as a central belief to
Buddhism is to reduce suffering in sentient beings, mindfulness is definitely a useful tool in the mission
to address this Western brand of suffering.
______________________
References
[1]
American Psychological Association. Stress in America: Are Teens Adopting Adults' Stress Habits?
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[3] Kelland, K. Mindfulness therapy as good as medication for chronic depression. Reuters. 2015.
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