A scientometric analysis of 16,310 documents from 1973 to 2023 reveals that mindfulness dominates mind–body intervention research, but each practice—Yoga, Qi-gong, Tai-chi, Vipassana, Zen, Loving-kindness, and Transcendental meditation—has distinct research clusters focused on different mental and physical health issues, such as substance abuse, schizophrenia, back pain, and dementia. The findings suggest that future research should recognize the unique contributions of each practice rather than treating them as a single category.
Eating disorders involve a transformation of the essential act of eating from a source of pleasure and relational bonding into a source of psychological distress with somatic consequences and impacts on individual and environmental functioning. Recent advances in diagnostic and etiopathogenic approaches have improved understanding of these disorders. Innovative techniques including neuromodulation, virtual reality, and psychedelics are opening possibilities for more targeted and individualized therapies.
A systematic review of 22 randomized controlled trials involving 1,500 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) examined the structure of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). All programs varied in session components, duration, and instructor experience. MBSR-like programs focused on stress reactivity, while MBCT-like programs addressed primary psychosis symptoms and relapse prevention. Common mechanisms included attention training, emotion and stress regulation, decentering, self-compassion, and cognitive restructuring. The heterogeneity limits interpretation, but most recent trials had lower bias risk and more homogenous programs. Findings suggested potential benefits such as reduced negative symptoms, increased well-being, and decreased hospitalization rates. Authors recommend aligning on more congruent MBI programs for SSD and call for further research on optimal teaching approaches, mechanisms, and doses.