Clinical Psychology Science and Practice
January 1, 2004
Scott R. Bishop, Mark A. Lau, Shauna L. Shapiro et al.
6,266 citations
Mindfulness has attracted considerable interest as a way to reduce cognitive vulnerability to stress and emotional distress, but it has not been defined operationally. Recent consensus meetings produced a two-component model of mindfulness, specifying each component in terms of specific behaviors, experiential manifestations, and psychological processes. The paper addresses temporal stability and situational specificity, speculates on the conceptual and operational distinctiveness of mindfulness, and discusses implications for instrument development and measurement.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
January 1, 2000
John D. Teasdale, Zindel V. Segal, James Williams et al.
2,613 citations
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), a group intervention, trains recovered recurrently depressed patients to disengage from depressive thinking patterns that can trigger relapse. In a randomized trial with 145 recovered recurrently depressed patients, MBCT plus treatment as usual was compared to treatment as usual alone over 60 weeks. For patients with three or more previous depressive episodes (77% of the sample), MBCT significantly reduced the risk of relapse or recurrence. However, for patients with only two previous episodes, MBCT did not reduce relapse. MBCT offers a promising, cost-effective psychological approach to preventing relapse in recovered recurrently depressed patients.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
January 1, 2006
Mark A. Lau, Scott R. Bishop, Zindel V. Segal et al.
1,462 citations
A new self-report questionnaire, the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS), measures the state of mindfulness. In two studies, the scale showed good internal consistency and two factors: Curiosity and Decentering. TMS scores increased with more mindfulness meditation experience. In a second study, participants in an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program showed increased TMS scores after treatment, and Decentering scores predicted improvements in clinical outcomes. The TMS is a promising measure with good psychometric properties and predictive validity for treatment outcome.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
November 1, 2007
Nicole D. Anderson, Mark A. Lau, Zindel V. Segal et al.
326 citations
Healthy adults who completed an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course reported greater improvements in emotional well-being and mindfulness compared to a wait-list control group, but showed no improvements in attentional control. Improvements in mindfulness after MBSR were correlated with better detection of objects in visual scenes, suggesting a link between mindfulness and non-directed attention.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
February 1, 2022
Michael Moore, Mark A. Lau, Emily A. P. Haigh et al.
33 citations
Decentering—the ability to observe thoughts and feelings as temporary events in the mind—may help reduce relapse in major depression, but it is not unique to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). In a randomized trial, 227 formerly depressed adults received MBCT, relaxation group therapy (RGT), or treatment as usual (TAU). During acute treatment, depression levels increased in RGT and TAU but not in MBCT. Gains in decentering from mid- to posttreatment predicted reduced depression in MBCT and TAU, but not RGT, and were linked to lower relapse rates across all groups over 12 months. These exploratory findings suggest decentering is a potent but nonspecific mechanism.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2023
Jaime Navarrete, Marta Fontana-Mcnally, Ariadna Colomer-Carbonell et al.
9 citations
The Spanish versions of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) and the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) show adequate reliability and validity for measuring state mindfulness, though the SMS specific factors have poor reliability when controlling for the general factor. Data from six non-clinical Spanish samples (TMS n=119, SMS n=223) were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The best-fitting model for the TMS was a correlated two-factor structure (curiosity and decentering). For the SMS, a bifactor structure (general factor, mindfulness of body, and mindfulness of mind) fit best. Both scales detected changes in state mindfulness after meditation practices. The patterns of correlations with measures of trait mindfulness, decentering, non-attachment, depression, anxiety, stress, affect, self-criticism, and self-reassurance were mostly as expected.
January 31, 2022
Michael Moore, Mark A. Lau, Emily A. P. Haigh et al.
2 citations
Decentering, the ability to view thoughts and feelings as temporary mental events, may help prevent relapse in major depression. In a randomized trial, 227 formerly depressed adults received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), relaxation group therapy, or treatment as usual. During acute treatment, depression symptoms increased in the relaxation and treatment-as-usual groups but not in MBCT. Gains in decentering from mid- to post-treatment predicted reduced depression across MBCT and treatment as usual, but not relaxation therapy. Those who improved in decentering had the lowest relapse rates over 12 months, regardless of group. Results suggest decentering is a non-specific mechanism for reducing depression relapse.
Oxford Guide to Low Intensity CBT Interventions
May 1, 2010
Mark A. Lau
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) can help prevent the recurrence of depression during the maintenance phase of care. This chapter describes a low-intensity group program based on MBCT, covering its rationale, session structure, content, and evidence of effectiveness. It also discusses the potential for delivering MBCT through alternative formats like telephone or internet.