> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.meditation-research.org.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice: Modest Gains in Character Strengths and Mindfulness, with Wellbeing Linked to Autonomy - URL: https://www.meditation-research.org.uk/mindfulness-based-strengths-practice-modest-gains-in-character-strengths-and-mindfulness-with-wellbeing-linked-to-autonomy/ - Published: 2026-10-31T16:38:30.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-31T20:45:07.000Z - Description: Two small trials found that an 8-week MBSP programme improved several character strengths and mindfulness facets and reduced negative emotions. A further preliminary result: Its effect on overall wellbeing depended on whether people felt their basic psychological needs, esp. autonomy, were met. - Author: Dr Peter Malinowski - Tags: Effects & Mechanisms, Strengths-Based, Mindfulness-Based, #Paper Brief ## Citation Casali, N., Meneghetti, C., Hirschi, A., & Pang, D. (2026). Satisfying Basic Needs: The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice on Character Strengths, Mindfulness, and Well-being Across Two Samples. *Journal of Happiness Studies, 27*, 109\. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-026-01089-1](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-026-01089-1?ref=meditation-research.org.uk) ## Why this paper matters Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) combines standard mindfulness training with work on character strengths, a combination that so far has been less studied than programmes such as MBSR or MBCT. It is, however, gaining in popularity and shows promising results. Most MBSP studies reported effects on overall wellbeing scores, but more detailed insights are required, for example which specific strengths change, or why and how changes happen. This paper goes in this direction. Two randomised waitlist controlled trials ask which of the 24 character strengths actually shift, which facets of mindfulness change, and whether satisfaction of basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—explains any wellbeing gains. This mechanism-focused approach is useful because it moves beyond a simple "does it work" question towards a more precise account of what changes and through what pathway. ## What was studied? The researchers asked whether MBSP changes individual character strengths and dispositional mindfulness over time, whether it improves multidimensional wellbeing (measured using the PERMA framework: **p**ositive emotion, **e**ngagement, **r**elationships, **m**eaning, and **a**ccomplishment), and whether any wellbeing gains are explained by increased satisfaction of basic psychological needs or by changes in character strengths and mindfulness. ## Who took part? The paper reports two separate samples. Study 1 considers a subset of data from a study already published a few years ago (Pang & Ruch, 2019). It involves 42 German-speaking adults in Switzerland (mean age about 44.7 years) who took part in an in-person, fee-based version of the programme, with outcomes tracked across five time points up to six months after the intervention ended. Study 2 includes 53 adults from the Italian general population (mean age about 32.2 years) who took part in a free, online version delivered via Zoom, with outcomes assessed before and after the programme. As often the case in such studies, both samples were predominantly female and self-selected, which limits how far the results can be generalised to other groups. ## What did the researchers do? Both studies used a waitlist-controlled randomised design, comparing MBSP participants with people waiting to begin the programme. Participants completed self-report measures of the 24 VIA character strengths (different versions of the VIA Inventory of Strengths) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Study 2 additionally measured PERMA wellbeing and satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and this part of the study was pre-registered. The researchers used linear mixed models to track change over time, and in Study 2 used structural equation modelling with bootstrapped indirect effects to test whether needs satisfaction, character strengths, or mindfulness explained any link between MBSP and well-being. ## What did they find? Across both studies, MBSP was associated with increases in roughly half of the 24 character strengths, with small to medium effect sizes; gains in strengths such as *gratitude*, *humour*, *love*, *social intelligence*, and *spirituality* were among the more consistent findings, though the exact pattern varied between the two samples and follow-up periods. Overall dispositional mindfulness also increased, with the clearest changes in the facets of *non-reactivity* and *non-judging*; change in the observing facet was less consistent. Some of these effects persisted for up to six months in Study 1 and three months in Study 2. For wellbeing, the picture was more limited. In Study 2, MBSP did not produce a clear direct effect on overall PERMA scores, though it did reduce negative emotions. The link between MBSP and overall well-being appeared instead through an indirect pathway: participants who reported greater satisfaction of basic psychological needs—particularly autonomy—also reported greater well-being gains. In an additional exploratory analysis, increases in character strengths also statistically explained some of the well-being improvement, whereas mindfulness itself did not. ## What are the main limitations? - Both studies have limited sample sizes, and although Study 2 was pre-registered the the sample size was considerably smaller than the number set out for based on prior calculations, leaving the study underpowered to detect small effects with confidence. - Both trials used waitlist control groups rather than active comparison conditions, so expectancy effects and other non-specific influences of taking part in a structured programme cannot be ruled out; the paper notes that some improvements also occurred in the waitlist groups. - The mediation analyses in Study 2 relied on only two time points, which means they cannot establish the order in which changes actually occurred — a precondition for claims of mediation in the strict causal sense. - Both samples were heavily female and self-selected, which limits how confidently the findings can be extended to other populations. - All outcomes relied on self-report, with no behavioural or informant-based measures to corroborate participants' own accounts. - Because MBSP combines mindfulness and strengths-based content, the design cannot separate which component is responsible for which effect. ## How much confidence should be placed in the result? This study contributes to the growing evidence-base for the benefits of MBSP. In its attempt to investigate change processes it offers preliminary evidence, not a definitive demonstration of how MBSP works. The findings on character strengths and mindfulness come from two small randomised trials with modest sample sizes, and while the use of waitlist controls and multiple time points strengthens the basic comparison, it does not rule out expectancy or other non-specific effects. The headline finding — that needs satisfaction, especially autonomy, explains MBSP's link to wellbeing — is statistically interesting but should be treated cautiously: the authors themselves note convergence and power issues in the bootstrap mediation analysis, and two-time-point mediation cannot confirm causal direction. The absence of a clear direct effect on overall PERMA wellbeing is also notable; it may reflect a true limited effect, or it may simply reflect low statistical power. As a single study (albeit with two samples), this paper cannot be read as establishing that MBSP reliably improves wellbeing through needs satisfaction. It is one early signal that warrants replication with larger, better-powered, and ideally actively controlled studies. ## Why might this matter for research or practice? For researchers, the paper offers a useful shift away from treating "wellbeing" as a single outcome and towards asking which specific strengths or psychological processes change, and why. The finding that autonomy satisfaction — rather than mindfulness or strengths use directly — appeared to carry the strongest link to wellbeing is a specific, testable hypothesis for future, larger studies rather than a settled conclusion. For practice, the results offer a modest and qualified possibility rather than a prescription. If the autonomy finding holds up in better-powered studies, it would suggest that how MBSP (or similar programmes) is delivered — whether it supports a sense of choice and self-direction — may matter for potential wellbeing gains. Given the small samples, waitlist control, short follow-up windows, and self-report measures involved, such potential implications should be treated with caution, plausible directions to keep an eye on, but certainly not established practice guidance. ## Related topics to explore further - Research on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), which provide useful comparison points for how standardised mindfulness programmes are typically evaluated. - Literature on the VIA classification of character strengths and its use in positive psychology interventions. See [https://viacharacter.org](https://viacharacter.org/?ref=meditation-research.org.uk) for comprehensive information. - Self-Determination Theory research on basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) as mechanisms of wellbeing change. - Studies using the PERMA model of wellbeing, relevant for comparing how different interventions affect multidimensional flourishing rather than single wellbeing scores. ### On our website: - [Mindfulness and Character Strengths in Education](https://www.meditation-research.org.uk/mindfulness-and-character-strengths-in-education/) - [Strengths-based Mindfulness](https://www.meditation-research.org.uk/strengths-based-mindfulness/) - [Why I love teaching mindfulness and character strengths](https://www.meditation-research.org.uk/why-i-love-teaching-mindfulness-and-character-strengths-to-my-students/) --- Written with AI assistance — [see how](https://www.meditation-research.org.uk/about/#ai-use-on-this-site).