Reduction of Chronic Stress and Trait Anxiety by Inquiry of Cognitive Appraisals with the Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) Method
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Abstract Background: Chronic stress and anxiety can impair individuals’ health. Appraisal theories assume that stress and anxiety are experienced if individuals appraise a situation as threatening for their well-being. Thus, the modification of cognitive appraisals can be expected to reduce stress and anxiety. A potentially effective method to modify individuals’ appraisals is inquiry-based stress reduction (IBSR; Mitchell & Mitchell, 2003). Aims: The present study assesses the effects of IBSR on chronic stress and trait anxiety in comparison to a matched control group. Method: We used a quasi-experimental repeated-measurement design and a non-clinical sample of N = 199. Participants’ chronic stress and anxiety levels were assessed before and three months after a nine-day IBSR training. To account for the consequences of missing randomization, propensity score matching was applied. Results: As expected, data analyses revealed that in the IBSR training group chronic stress and trait anxiety statistically significantly decreased over the course of three months whereas in the matched control group, the levels of chronic stress and trait anxiety did not statistically significantly change. Conclusions: IBSR seems to effectively reduce trait anxiety and chronic stress in a non-clinical sample.
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Other studies conducted with the IBSR intervention technique that examined its effect on anxiety in the general population reported a significant improvement in trait anxiety as part of the STAI instrument.
“Other studies conducted with the IBSR intervention technique that examined its effect on anxiety in the general population reported a significant improvement in trait anxiety as part of the STAI instrument [37,56,59].”
From Inquiry based stress reduction (Ibsr) improves overall stuttering experience among adults who stutter: A randomized controlled trial (2021) · cites this paper as [56]
Another research study has demonstrated the ability of IBSR method to reduce chronic stress and trait anxiety in a general (non-clinical) population.
“Another research study has demonstrated the ability of IBSR method to reduce chronic stress and trait anxiety in a general (non-clinical) population [56].”
From Inquiry based stress reduction (Ibsr) improves overall stuttering experience among adults who stutter: A randomized controlled trial (2021) · cites this paper as [56]
Re-evaluation and modification of cognitive perceptions are expected to reduce stress and anxiety.
“Thus, re-evaluation and modification of cognitive perceptions are expected to reduce stress and anxiety [56].”
From Inquiry based stress reduction (Ibsr) improves overall stuttering experience among adults who stutter: A randomized controlled trial (2021) · cites this paper as [56]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Krispenz, A., & Dickhäuser, O.
- Affiliations
- University of Mannheim (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Krispenz, Ann
- Venue
- Open Psychology
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2019-01-01
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 185-199
- ISSN
- 2543-8883 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2931871724
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3
- FWCI
- 1.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Open Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- MADOC (University of Mannheim) (acceptedVersion)
- Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Keywords
- chronic stress, trait anxiety, cognitive appraisal, appraisal theory, stress reduction training, non-clinical sample
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