Skip to content

Marcelo Demarzo

18 papers in the library · 380 citations · publishing 2016-2026

Papers

Sort Most recent Most cited

Mindfulness in the Brazilian National Health System (SUS): Why Training Instructors Is Not Expensive but Strategic and Cost-Effective

Qeios August 31, 2026 Marcelo Demarzo

BACKGROUND: It is often argued that training mindfulness instructors would be too expensive to be feasible within a public health system such as Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS). This essay challenges that perception by combining epidemiological estimates, cost analysis, and evidence from national and international experiences. METHODS: Using population-based planning benchmarks, we...

EEG signatures of mindfulness-based artistic–contemplative sound interventions: a pilot study on aesthetic states of consciousness

Frontiers in Psychology July 28, 2026 Hercules Morais, Débora Regina de Aguiar, Matheus Hissa Lourenço Ferreira et al.

BackgroundMindfulness-based artistic–contemplative interventions, including auditory “sound pills,” have increasingly been investigated using neurophysiological measures such as electroencephalography (EEG) to promote psychological well-being and attentional regulation. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these interventions remain poorly understood.MethodsThis pilot,...

Implementation and effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for mild depression in primary care: Protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster RCT

SSM - Mental Health June 16, 2026 Caroline Krauser, Eduardo Jardim Simões, Chester Schmaltz et al.

Depressive and anxiety symptoms are one of the leading causes of years lived with disability worldwide. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be one of the proven treatments for improving mild and moderate cases of depression and anxiety. However, there is still a gap regarding the feasibility and effectiveness of MBIs in the real world, especially in low- and middle-income...

Effects of mindfulness training on quality of life and well-being in older adults: a randomized controlled trial.

Aging & Mental Health April 12, 2025 Marcelo Vasconcelos Mapurunga, Daniela Rodrigues de Oliveira, Solange Andreoni et al. 5 citations

To investigate the effects of the Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion (MBHP) program on quality of life (QOL) and well-being in older adults compared to an active control group. A randomized controlled trial nested within a cohort study was conducted. Participants were allocated to either the MBHP intervention or an active control group (ACG) receiving computer-based cognitive stimulation....

Mindfulness enhancements predict aberrant salience reductions and improve stress management.

Discover Mental Health April 8, 2025 Isabel Wießner, Júlia Paula Souza, Marcelo Demarzo et al. 3 citations

Mindfulness improves mental health and clinical conditions including psychosis and modulates attentional processes including salience-the automatic direction of attention to prominent elements. Aberrant salience-the exaggerated significance attribution to perceived elements-is associated with psychotic experiences, but its interactions with mindfulness remain unexplored. This...

Improving patient-centered mental health promotion in primary care in vulnerable communities through mindfulness training in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Frontiers in Medicine 2024 Débora Silva Teixeira, Sandra Fortes, Celia Kestenberg et al. 8 citations

Brazilian Primary Health Care (PHC) is responsible for all-sanitary actions for a community-based population, including health promotion and mental health care. Mindfulness Based Health Promotion (MBHP) is an intervention that can promote self-care and psychosocial support in PHC. To discuss the effects of mindfulness based psychosocial group interventions for health promotion in primary care...

An Overview of the Methods Used to Measure the Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Sleep-Related Outcomes.

Sleep science (Sao Paulo, Brazil) December 1, 2023 Julia Ribeiro Da Silva Vallim, Gabriela Sant'Ana Lima, Gabriel Natan Pires et al.

Introduction Systematic reviews and metanalyses have shown that mindfulness-based interventions can have positive effects on health, such as reducing anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. However, their effect on sleep-related outcomes is not yet well established. Sleep can be assessed subjectively (questionnaires, sleep logs, self-reporting) and/or objectively (actigraphy, polysomnography,...

The Toronto Mindfulness Scale and the State Mindfulness Scale: psychometric properties of the Spanish versions.

Frontiers in Psychology 2023 Jaime Navarrete, Marta Fontana-Mcnally, Ariadna Colomer-Carbonell et al. 9 citations

The Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) and the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) are two relevant self-report measures of state mindfulness. The purpose of this study was to examine the internal structure and to offer evidence of the reliability and validity of the Spanish versions of the TMS and SMS. Data from six distinct non-clinical samples in Spain were obtained. They responded to the TMS (n =...

The impact of a brief mindfulness training on interoception: A randomized controlled trial

PLoS One September 7, 2022 Geissy Lainny de Lima-Araújo, Geovan Menezes de Sousa, Thatiane Aparecida Mendes et al. 64 citations

Interoception is a collection of different representations of signals originating within the body. The way of perceiving these signals seems to be related to both emotion regulation and dysregulation, and its dysfunction is implicated across a variety of affective disorders. There is a growing body of research investigating the relationship between mindfulness meditation practices and...

Mindfulness Training for Primary Care for Portuguese-Speaking Immigrants: A Pilot Study

Frontiers in Psychiatry September 9, 2021 Marcelo Trombka, Timothy B. Creedon, Marcelo Demarzo et al. 14 citations

Background: Portuguese-speaking immigrants are a growing underserved population in the Unites States who experience high levels of psychological distress and increased vulnerability to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Current evidence shows that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are effective to promote physical and mental health among educated English speakers;...

Mindfulness Training Improves Quality of Life and Reduces Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Police Officers: Results From the POLICE Study—A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Frontiers in Psychiatry February 26, 2021 Marcelo Trombka, Marcelo Demarzo, Daniel Fernando Campos et al.

Background: Police officers' high-stress levels and its deleterious consequences are raising awareness to an epidemic of mental health problems and quality of life (QoL) impairment. There is a growing evidence that mindfulness-based interventions are efficacious to promote mental health and well-being among high-stress occupations. Methods: The POLICE study is a multicenter randomized...

Terapia cognitiva baseada em mindfulness no atendimento clínico individual de depressão

SMAD Revista Eletrônica Saúde Mental Álcool e Drogas (Edição em Português) September 30, 2020 Nazaré de Oliveira Almeida, Marcelo Demarzo, Carmem Beatriz Neufeld 4 citations

Objetivo: estudo de casos múltiplos teve objetivo de avaliar a aplicabilidade do protocolo de grupo de um programa de 8 semanas de Terapia Cognitiva Baseada em Mindfulness adaptado para o atendimento clínico individual de pacientes com sintomas de depressão. Método: para o estudo de casos múltiplos, no qual 11 casos de pacientes com diagnósticode depressão leve à moderada submetidos à...

Religiosity and Meditation Practice: Exploring Their Explanatory Power on Psychological Adjustment.

Frontiers in Psychology 2019 Jesus Montero-Marin, Maria C Perez-Yus, Ausiàs Cebolla et al.

There has been increased interest in the relationships between religiosity, meditation practice and well-being, but there is lack of understanding as to how specific religious components and distinct meditation practices could influence different positive and negative psychological adjustment outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the explanatory power of religious beliefs and the...

Unwanted effects: Is there a negative side of meditation? A multicentre survey

PLoS One September 5, 2017 Ausiàs Cebolla, Marcelo Demarzo, Patricia Silveira Martins et al. 186 citations

OBJECTIVES: Despite the long-term use and evidence-based efficacy of meditation and mindfulness-based interventions, there is still a lack of data about the possible unwanted effects (UEs) of these practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of UEs among meditation practitioners, considering moderating factors such as the type, frequency, and lifetime duration of the...

Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion

Mindfulness February 22, 2016 Marta Alda, Marta Puebla-Guedea, Baltasar Rodero et al. 87 citations

Mindfulness refers to an awareness that emerges by intentionally focusing on the present experience in a nonjudgmental or evaluative manner. Evidence regarding its efficacy has been increasing exponentially, and recent research suggests that the practice of meditation is associated with longer leukocyte telomere length. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying this potential...

Psychological Effects of a 1-Month Meditation Retreat on Experienced Meditators: The Role of Non-attachment.

Frontiers in Psychology 2016 Jesus Montero-Marin, Marta Puebla-Guedea, Paola Herrera-Mercadal et al.

Background: There are few studies devoted to assessing the impact of meditation-intensive retreats on the well-being, positive psychology, and personality of experienced meditators. We aimed to assess whether a 1-month Vipassana retreat: (a) would increase mindfulness and well-being; (b) would increase prosocial personality traits; and (c) whether psychological changes would be mediated and/or...

Rethinking Practice in Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Developmental Theoretical Model Integrating Formal Practice, Informal Practice, Practice Quality, and Dispositional Mindfulness

Marcelo Demarzo

Research on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) has consistently framed home practice as a central therapeutic ingredient. Nevertheless, the empirical literature remains heterogeneous with regard to the amount of practice participants complete, the strength and consistency of associations between practice time and outcomes, and the relative contribution of formal versus informal practice. At...