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Alberto Chiesa

20 papers in the library · 3,040 citations · publishing 2009-2026

Papers

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Efficacy and Moderators of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Difficult-to-Treat Depression: A Systematic Review and Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics June 12, 2026 Thorsten Barnhofer, Maria Niemi, Johannes Michalak et al. 1 citation

INTRODUCTION: Around a third of patients with major depressive disorder experience persistent symptoms despite usual treatments. Identifying scalable, psychological treatment options is critical to reduce the burden associated with difficult-to-treat depression (DTD). We examined the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) compared with treatment as usual (TAU) and other active...

Efficacy and moderators of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in 'Difficult to Treat' depression: protocol for a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BMJ Open December 8, 2025 Thorsten Barnhofer, Maria Niemi, Johannes Michalak et al.

Introduction: About 30% of depressed patients suffer from a protracted course in which the disorder continues to cause significant burden despite treatment efforts. While originally developed for relapse prevention, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has increasingly been investigated in depressed patients with such 'difficult-to-treat' courses. This is a protocol for an individual...

Efficacy and Moderators of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in ‘Difficult to Treat’ Depression: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

medRxiv June 9, 2025 Thorsten Barnhofer, Maria Niemi, Johannes Michalak et al. preprint

ABSTRACT: Introduction: About 30% of depressed patients suffer from a protracted course in which the disorder continues to cause significant burden despite treatment efforts. While originally developed for relapse prevention, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has increasingly been investigated in depressed patients with such ‘difficult-to-treat’ courses. This is a protocol for an...

Training for Mindfulness Teachers: Benefits for Mindfulness, Well-being, and Emotion Regulation

Mindfulness February 1, 2025 Alessio Matiz, Alberto Chiesa, Fabio D’Antoni et al.

Abstract Objectives This study examined the effects of a 9-month mindfulness teacher training (MTT) program on mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, and psychological well-being among future mindfulness instructors, compared to a control group. Method Eighty-seven mindfulness instructors-in-training participated in the MTT program. The control group consisted of age- and gender-matched...

Mindfulness teacher training enhances interoceptive awareness and reduces emotional distress: a controlled study.

Frontiers in Psychology 2025 Alberto Chiesa, Cristiano Crescentini, Fabio D'Antoni et al. 5 citations

Several mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown efficacy in enhancing interoceptive awareness (IA), the ability to perceive and interpret bodily signals, leading to improved mental and physical wellbeing. However, no study has yet explored the effects of mindfulness practice on IA in individuals training to become MBI teachers. Thus, we investigated the impact of a mindfulness teacher...

Cognitive, psychological, and physiological effects of a web-based mindfulness intervention in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: an open study.

BMC Geriatrics February 14, 2024 Samantha Galluzzi, Mariangela Lanfredi, Davide Vito Moretti et al. 12 citations

The development of effective strategies to maintain good mental health of older adults is a public health priority. Mindfulness-based interventions have the potential to improve psychological well-being and cognitive functions of older adults, but little is known about the effect of such interventions when delivered through internet. During the COVID-19 pandemic we evaluated short- and...

Citation patterns and trends of systematic reviews about mindfulness.

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice August 2017 Alberto Chiesa, Teresa Fazia, Luisa Bernardinelli et al.

We performed a citation analysis of the literature about mindfulness aimed at describing the most significant topics and the impact of more relevant papers. We classified 128 systematic reviews about mindfulness-based intervention retrieved in Scopus according to their object, the population included and the type of mindfulness proposed. The citation counting was reported. The cumulative...

DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2017.04.006 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Citation analysis Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Mindfulness-based interventions Mindfulness-based stress reduction

Effectiveness of traditional meditation retreats: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Journal of Psychosomatic Research 2017 Bassam Khoury, Bärbel Knäuper, Marco Schlosser et al.

An increasing number of studies are investigating traditional meditation retreats. Very little, however, is known about their effectiveness. To evaluate the effectiveness of meditation retreats on improving psychological outcomes in general population. A systematic review of studies published in journals or as dissertations in PSYCINFO, PUBMED, CINAHL or Web of Science from the first available...

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy vs. psycho-education for patients with major depression who did not achieve remission following antidepressant treatment.

Psychiatry Research April 30, 2015 Alberto Chiesa, Vittoria Castagner, Costanza Andrisano et al.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) showed efficacy for currently depressed patients. However, most of the available studies suffer from important methodological shortcomings, including the lack of adequate control groups. The present study aims to compare MBCT with a psycho-educational control group designed to be structurally equivalent to the MBCT program but excluding the main...

Disentangling the neural mechanisms involved in Hinduism- and Buddhism-related meditations.

Brain and Cognition October 2014 Barbara Tomasino, Alberto Chiesa, Franco Fabbro

The most diffuse forms of meditation derive from Hinduism and Buddhism spiritual traditions. Different cognitive processes are set in place to reach these meditation states. According to an historical-philological hypothesis (Wynne, 2009) the two forms of meditation could be disentangled. While mindfulness is the focus of Buddhist meditation reached by focusing sustained attention on the body,...

Improving psychotherapy research: The example of mindfulness based interventions.

World journal of methodology September 26, 2011 Alberto Chiesa

The increasing number and sophistication of available psychotherapies suggests that a critical appraisal of the methodological issues of psychotherapy studies is highly needed. Several key questions regarding the efficacy of a given intervention, the understanding of whether positive effects observed following the delivery of a psychotherapeutic intervention are specifically attributable to the...

Mindfulness‐based approaches: are they all the same?

Journal of Clinical Psychology January 19, 2011 Alberto Chiesa, Peter Malinowski 456 citations

Mindfulness-based approaches are increasingly employed as interventions for treating a variety of psychological, psychiatric and physical problems. Such approaches include ancient Buddhist mindfulness meditations such as Vipassana and Zen meditations, modern group-based standardized meditations, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and further...

Functional neural correlates of mindfulness meditations in comparison with psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy and placebo effect. Is there a link?

Acta Neuropsychiatrica June 2010 Alberto Chiesa, Paolo Brambilla, Alessandro Serretti

Chiesa A, Brambilla P, Serretti A. Functional neural correlates of mindfulness meditations in comparison with psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy and placebo effect. Is there a link? Mindfulness meditations (MM) are a group of meditation practices which are increasingly receiving attention. The aim of the present work is to review current findings about the neural correlates of MM and compare such...

P02-335 - A Systematic Review of Neurobiological and Clinical Features of Mindfulness Meditations

European Psychiatry 2010 Alberto Chiesa, Alessandro Serretti 4 citations

Objective Mindfulness meditations (MM) are an important group of meditative practices which have received growing attention. The aim of the present paper is to systematically review current evidence on the neurobiological changes and on the clinical benefits related to MM practice in psychiatric disorders, physical illnesses and in healthy subjects. Methods A literature search was undertaken...

Vipassana meditation: systematic review of current evidence.

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2010 Alberto Chiesa

Vipassana meditation (VM) is one of the most ancient and diffused types of meditative practices belonging to the pole of mindfulness. Despite the growing interest toward the neurobiological and clinical correlates of many meditative practices, no review has specifically focused on current evidence on neuro-imaging and clinical evidence about VM. A literature search was undertaken using...

P02-336 - Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Major Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

European Psychiatry 2010 Alberto Chiesa, Alessandro Serretti

ObjectiveMindfulness based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a standardized meditation program which has been proposed as a therapeutic option for the prevention of relapses in patients suffering from major depression (MD). The aim of the present review and meta-analysis is to provide an estimate of the efficacy of MBCT for MD patients.MethodsA literature search was undertaken using MEDLINE, ISI web...

A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations

Psychological Medicine November 27, 2009 Alberto Chiesa, Alessandro Serretti 752 citations

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness meditation (MM) practices constitute an important group of meditative practices that have received growing attention. The aim of the present paper was to systematically review current evidence on the neurobiological changes and clinical benefits related to MM practice in psychiatric disorders, in physical illnesses and in healthy subjects. METHOD: A literature search was...

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009 Alberto Chiesa, Alessandro Serretti 1,707 citations

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a clinically standardized meditation that has shown consistent efficacy for many mental and physical disorders. Less attention has been given to the possible benefits that it may have in healthy subjects. The aim of the present review and meta-analysis is to better investigate current evidence about the efficacy of MBSR in healthy...

Zen Meditation: An Integration of Current Evidence

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009 Alberto Chiesa 83 citations

OBJECTIVE: Despite the growing interest in the neurobiological and clinical correlates of many meditative practices, in particular mindfulness meditations, no review has specifically focused on current evidence on electroencephalographic, neuroimaging, biological, and clinical evidence about an important traditional practice, Zen meditation. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using...