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Anne E. M. Speckens

93 papers in the library · 1,890 citations · publishing 2009-2026

Papers

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Perceived changes of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, tailored for people with a spinal cord injury: a qualitative study

Research Square September 29, 2026 Tijn van Diemen, Ellen Kaal, Christel van Leeuwen et al. preprint

Abstract Study design: A qualitative study. Objectives: Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) frequently experience substantial physical and psychological challenges. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has demonstrated beneficial effects across various medical and psychiatric populations. However, evidence in individuals with SCI remains limited. To our knowledge, this is the first...

The development and application of the integrative framework of feasibility and process of change of mindfulness-based interventions

Scientific Reports September 19, 2026 Sabien Johanna Everdina Bosman, M.a.d.w. de Jong, Linda Kwakkenbos et al.

Abstract A substantial number of qualitative studies have been conducted on feasibility and process of change of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs), but differences in terminology makes results of these studies difficult to compare. We conducted a targeted focused literature review to identify studies of the Radboudumc Expertise Centre for Mindfulness (k = 16) on feasibility and process of...

Change of self-schemas following mindfulness-based compassionate living for recurrent depression: A qualitative study.

Acta Psychologica June 15, 2026 Vera Scheepbouwer, Imke Hanssen, Rhoda Schuling et al.

Objectives: Compassion-based interventions, like Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL), are increasingly recognized as treatments for depression. This study explores the impact of MBCL on self-schemas. Methods: As part of an RCT on MBCL for depression, self-description interviews of approximately 3 min in duration were conducted with 24 patients before and after MBCL and were analyzed...

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...

Long-Term Outcomes, Moderators, and Predictors in Online Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for People With Cancer: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Journal of Medical Internet Research April 17, 2026 Nasim Badaghi, Jelle Lubbers, Judith Prins et al.

Background: A 3-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated that 2 formats of online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT)-group-blended and individual-unguided-effectively reduced psychological distress and improved positive health outcomes in people with cancer and survivors, when compared to care as usual, up to 3 months posttreatment. However, the long-term effectiveness and...

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...

What Makes Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programs Effective Among Dutch Elementary School Teachers? The Mediating Role of Mindfulness Skills, Self-Compassion, Emotion Regulation, and Teacher Self-Efficacy

Mindfulness September 1, 2025 Marieke Rombouts, Johanna H. Lensen, Jannis T. Kraiss et al.

Abstract Objectives Few studies have examined why Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs are effective among teachers. The aim of this study was to examine possible mediators underlying the effectiveness of an MBSR program for Dutch elementary school teachers. Methods Data of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with intervention (n = 72) versus control group (n = 74) were used....

Randomized Controlled Trial of Group-Blended and Individual-Unguided Online Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Reduce Psychological Distress in People With Cancer.

Psycho-Oncology September 1, 2025 Nasim Badaghi, Linda Kwakkenbos, Judith Prins et al.

Online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT) can reduce psychological distress in people with cancer, but adherence and scalability could be improved. Through co-creation, we developed two eMBCT formats: group-blended and individual-unguided. This trial compared the effects of the two eMBCT to care as usual (CAU) on psychological distress and other mental health outcomes in people with...

DOI: 10.1002/pon.70286 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Mindfulness Cancer Psycho‐oncology Randomized controlled trial

Group-Delivered Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Reduce Psychological Distress and Improve Sleep in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial (MindIBD).

Inflammatory bowel diseases July 14, 2025 Milou M Ter Avest, Marloes J. Huijbers, Carmen S Horjus et al. 6 citations

Many patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suffer from psychological distress, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and a reduced quality of life-even during remission. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has been effective in other populations, and therefore it may also benefit IBD patients. The primary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of MBCT plus treatment as usual (TAU)...

DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izaf116 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Mbct Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Inflammatory bowel diseases Psychological distress +18

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...

Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Mental Health Outcomes in Frontline Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Journal of General Internal Medicine May 19, 2025 Marieke Arts-De Jong, Dirk E. M. Geurts, Philip Spinhoven et al. 2 citations

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the mental health of frontline healthcare workers (HCWs), but solid evidence on psychological interventions for HCWs remains limited. Whether an adjusted therapist-assisted Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction group intervention (adjusted MBSR) is superior to a minimal self-guided mindfulness-based intervention (self-guided MBI) in improving mental...

The Effect of a Dyadic Support Intervention on Mindfulness Home Practice Adherence: A Pilot and Feasibility Study

Mindfulness May 10, 2025 Charlotte Borgers, Johan C. Karremans, Anne E. M. Speckens

Abstract Objectives An important element of mindfulness-based interventions is daily at-home mindfulness practice. However, maintaining regular practice is a challenge for many participants. This study examined the influence of a dyadic support intervention—a “buddy intervention”—on adherence to mindfulness practice in terms of practice frequency and duration. Method In this quasi-experimental...

DOI: 10.1007/s12671-025-02589-6 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Mindfulness Intervention counseling Psychotherapist Public health +2

Promoting Resilience in Youth through Mindfulness mEditation (PRYME): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of mindfulness training as add-on to care-as-usual on internalizing problems, mental illness development, and associated brain and cognitive processes in help-seeking youth.

BMC Psychiatry February 14, 2025 Maud Schepers, Paul Lagerweij, Dirk E. M. Geurts et al. 2 citations

Internalizing problems, such as worrying, anxiety and low mood, are increasingly common in youth and may constitute an early stage of mental illness development. There is thus an urgent need for effective measures to address mental health complaints as they develop and to prevent progression into more serious mental illness. Enhanced understanding of early-stage mental illness development,...

DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-06430-7 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Help-seeking Internalizing problems Mindfulness-based intervention Randomized controlled trial +5

Improved quality of life and psychological symptoms following mindfulness and cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis and their mediating role for cognition: a randomized controlled trial.

Journal of Neurology July 1, 2024 Ilse M Nauta, Maureen Van Dam, Dirk Bertens et al. 20 citations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently gives rise to depressive and anxiety symptoms, but these are often undertreated. This study investigated the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) on psychological outcomes and quality of life (QoL), and whether they mediate treatment effects on MS-related cognitive problems. This randomized controlled...

DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12327-y (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Mindfulness Cognitive rehabilitation Multiple sclerosis Quality of life

Change in Mindfulness Profiles After Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder

Mindfulness July 1, 2024 Jelle Lubbers, Philip Spinhoven, Mira B. Cladder-Micus et al.

Abstract Objectives Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) reduces recurrence and current depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). To understand how and for whom MBCT works, a person-centered approach focusing on mindfulness profiles can be useful. Four mindfulness profiles, each associated differently with mental health outcomes, have previously been...

Study protocol for the MIND-PD study: a randomized controlled trial to investigate clinical and biological effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in people with Parkinson's disease.

BMC Neurology June 25, 2024 Anouk Van der Heide, Franziska Goltz, Nienke M De Vries et al. 5 citations

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) are very sensitive to the effects of stress. The prevalence of stress-related neuropsychiatric symptoms is high, and acute stress worsens motor symptoms. Animal studies suggest that chronic stress may accelerate disease progression, but evidence for this in humans is lacking. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) train participants to focus on the present...

DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03736-7 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Anxiety Depression Disease progression Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy +2

Mindfulness-based stress reduction for elementary school teachers: a randomized controlled trial

Frontiers in Education April 9, 2024 Johanna H. Lensen, Sabine E. M. J. Stoltz, Marloes Kleinjan et al.

Educators frequently grapple with elevated levels of job-related stress, heightening the risk of mental health issues. Although Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing stress among the general populace, its implementation among educators, especially in non-United States settings, has received limited exploration. This pre-registered...

DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1385375 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Mindfulness Elementary school teachers Perceived stress Mental health +2

Latent Profile Analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) Subscales in a Naturalistic Sample of Patients with Past or Present Major Depression: A Replication and Extension Study

Mindfulness February 1, 2024 Jelle Lubbers, Philip Spinhoven, Mira B. Cladder-Micus et al.

Abstract Objectives Mindfulness is a multifaceted concept which might be best captured by person-centered profiles rather than by variable-centered assessment of its subcomponents. Patients with different mindfulness profiles may vary in mental health status and might experience differential clinical outcomes of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). We therefore aimed to assess the...

Rumination and Self-Compassion Moderate Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Patients With Recurrent and Persistent Major Depressive Disorder: A Controlled Trial.

Depression and Anxiety 2024 Jelle Lubbers, Dirk E. M. Geurts, Philip Spinhoven et al. 10 citations

Background: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is effective in reducing depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Understanding for whom and how MBCT works may allow for improvements in treatment allocation and effectiveness. In this study, our aim was to investigate depressive rumination, content-independent perseverative thinking, mindfulness skills, and...

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy v. treatment as usual in people with bipolar disorder: A multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Psychological Medicine October 1, 2023 Imke Hanssen, Marloes J. Huijbers, Eline Regeer et al. 7 citations

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) seems a promising intervention for bipolar disorder (BD), but there is a lack of randomised controlled trials (RCT) investigating this. The purpose of this multicentre, evaluator blinded RCT was to investigate the added value of MBCT to treatment as usual (TAU) in BD up to 15 months follow-up (NCT03507647). A total of 144 participants with BD type I...

DOI: 10.1017/S0033291723000090 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Bipolar disorder Effectiveness Randomised controlled trial

Trial-based economic evaluation of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared to treatment as usual for bipolar disorder.

International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research September 12, 2023 Ben Wijnen, Maud Jansen, Annelieke S M Van Velthoven et al. 2 citations

Aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and treatment as usual (TAU) compared to TAU alone in adults with Bipolar disorder (BD). An economic evaluation with a time horizon of 15 months was conducted from a societal perspective. Outcomes were expressed in costs per quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs per...

DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1981 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Mindfulness Bipolar disorder Cost-benefit analysis Quality-adjusted life years

Group, Blended and Individual, Unguided Online Delivery of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for People With Cancer: Feasibility Uncontrolled Trial (Preprint)

August 31, 2023 Nasim Badaghi, Mette van Kruijsbergen, Anne E. M. Speckens et al.

BACKGROUND Online mindfulness based cognitive therapy (eMBCT) has been shown to reduce psychological distress in people with cancer. However, this population has reported lack of support and asynchronous communication as barriers to eMBCT, resulting in higher nonadherence rates than with face-to-face MBCT. Using a co-creation process, we developed 2 formats of eMBCT: group, blended (combination...

The effects of an 8-week mindful eating intervention on anticipatory reward responses in striatum and midbrain

Frontiers in Nutrition August 11, 2023 Lieneke Katharina Janssen, Iris Duif, Anne E. M. Speckens et al. 9 citations

Introduction: Accumulating evidence suggests that increased neural responses during the anticipation of high-calorie food play an important role in the tendency to overeat. A promising method for counteracting enhanced food anticipation in overeating might be mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). However, the neural mechanisms by which MBIs can affect food reward anticipation are unclear. In...

Individual participant data systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials assessing adult mindfulness-based programmes for mental health promotion in non-clinical settings.

Nature Mental Health July 10, 2023 Julieta Galante, Claire Friedrich, Napaporn Aeamla-Or et al. 102 citations

Mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs) are widely used to prevent mental ill-health that is becoming the leading global cause of morbidity. Evidence suggests beneficial average effects but wide variability. We aimed to confirm the effect of MBPs on psychological distress, and to understand whether and how baseline distress, gender, age, education, and dispositional mindfulness modify the effect of...

Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction on stress regulation and associated neurocognitive mechanisms in stressed university students: the MindRest study

BMC Psychology July 1, 2023 Nikos Kogias, Dirk E. M. Geurts, Florian Krause et al. 4 citations

BACKGROUND: Stress-related disorders are a growing public health concern. While stress is a natural and adaptive process, chronic exposure to stressors can lead to dysregulation and take a cumulative toll on physical and mental well-being. One approach to coping with stress and building resilience is through Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). By understanding the neural mechanisms of...