Introduction
depressive, depression, anxiety
SYNDROME
Stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms are prevalent conditions in medical education and have been investigated thoroughly in the literature [These alarming findings, if unattended, are associated with job-related burnout syndrome [Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center has developed a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program as an intervention [The utilization of mindfulness-based interventions has been shown to be beneficial in different populations. In Spain [In another study, 288 medical and psychology students from the University of Oslo and the University of Tromso were randomly allocated to an MBSR group or a control group. Subjects were evaluated using multiple questionnaires including perceived medical school stress and five-facet mindfulness. Among female students, a significant improvement was noted in the mindfulness facets of non-reacting, non-judging, and lowered stress. Better adherence to the mindfulness program and exercises was thought to be a predictor of such improvement [Discussion of mindfulness training in negation of detrimental effect of mental distress in literature has increased our scientific curiosity about its effectiveness in Saudi medical colleges. To our knowledge, publications from Saudi Arabia addressing the effect of MBSR program on medical students are still in the early stages. The purpose of current study was to examine the effectiveness of the MBSR program in improving mindful state, stress, anxiety, and depression in medical students at Vision Colleges and King Saud University (KSU). Also, the study aimed to assess whether the effect of the MBSR program was maintained three months after the end of the program. Additionally, the study aimed to explore the association between the attendance rate of MBSR sessions and its effectiveness on all study measures. Lastly, it aimed to examine the gender differences in response to the program in all study’s measures.