Harvard Review of Psychiatry
July 1, 2018
Johannes Graser, Ulrich Stangier
67 citations
A review of the evidence for mindfulness-based interventions, compassion-based interventions (CBIs), and loving-kindness meditation (LKM) finds that while mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy are well-supported by many trials, only seven randomized controlled trials have been completed on CBIs and LKM. In those trials, CBIs were effective for psychotic disorders, affective disorders with psychotic features, major depressive disorder, eating disorders, and patients with recent suicide attempts; LKM was effective for chronic pain; and a combination helped borderline personality disorder. Nonrandomized studies suggest CBIs and LKM may also help depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and PTSD, but more research is needed to confirm these effects and determine their role as standalone or adjunct treatments.
Mindfulness (N Y)
May 11, 2023
Maren M. Michaelsen, Johannes Graser, Miriam Onescheit et al.
58 citations
A systematic review and meta-regression analysis of randomized controlled trials examined the effectiveness of mindfulness-based and mindfulness-informed interventions in workplace settings. The findings indicate that these interventions produce small to moderate beneficial effects on employee mental health outcomes, including reductions in stress, anxiety, and burnout, as well as improvements in well-being. The analysis also suggests that intervention characteristics, such as duration and delivery format, may moderate these effects, but the overall evidence is limited by heterogeneity across studies and potential publication bias.
Psychopathology
January 1, 2021
Naomi Lyons, Detlef E Dietrich, Johannes Graser et al.
3 citations
A disturbed sense of self, particularly feeling disconnected from one's own body (disembodiment), may contribute to delusions in psychosis. In a randomized experiment, 73 patients with psychosis either performed a 10-minute guided self-massage to enhance bodily boundary awareness or massaged a fabric ring. Those who did the self-massage showed a reduced tendency to jump to conclusions (an average of 4.11 pieces of evidence before deciding versus 2.43 in the control group, a moderate effect). However, there was no significant difference in explicit paranoid beliefs. The findings suggest that improving the sense of bodily boundaries can reduce an implicit bias linked to delusional thinking, supporting the idea that disembodiment plays a role in psychotic symptoms.
Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy
January 1, 2016
Johannes Graser, Volkmar Höfling, Charlotte Weβlau et al.
A 12-week group program combining mindfulness exercises from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with compassion exercises from Compassion Focused Therapy and Loving Kindness Meditation reduced depression severity in 11 patients with chronic depression. Symptoms did not change during a 3-month waiting period but significantly decreased after treatment and further improved at a 3-month follow-up, with nearly large effect sizes. Emotion regulation improved, with increased acceptance and decreased suppression of emotions, and rumination about oneself also decreased at follow-up. Compassionate love and mindfulness increased, while no effects were found on self-compassion or self-esteem. The approach may improve treatment options for chronic depression if confirmed by further studies.