Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
March 1, 2002
Zindel V. Segal, John D. Teasdale, Jane Williams et al.
420 citations
A 17-item scale, the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Adherence Scale (MBCT-AS), was developed to measure how closely therapists follow the MBCT protocol for preventing recurrence of major depressive disorder. The scale assesses behaviors specific to MBCT and those shared with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Independent ratings of recorded group sessions showed that raters could use the MBCT-AS reliably, MBCT therapists adhered to the protocol, and MBCT could be distinguished from CBT on both the MBCT-AS and a CBT adherence scale. The MBCT-AS may help ensure proper delivery of MBCT in future research and identify unique elements of the treatment.
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.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
March 16, 2014
Ben Shahar, Ohad Szepsenwol, Sigal Zilcha‐mano et al.
137 citations
Self-criticism is a risk factor for psychological disorders and predicts poor treatment response. A loving-kindness meditation (LKM) program designed to increase self-compassion was tested in 38 highly self-critical individuals randomly assigned to LKM or a wait-list. Compared with the wait-list, LKM led to significant reductions in self-criticism and depressive symptoms and significant increases in self-compassion and positive emotions. Gains were maintained at a 3-month follow-up. These preliminary results suggest that LKM may help self-critical individuals become less self-critical and more self-compassionate, and may reduce depressive symptoms and increase positive emotions.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
January 28, 2016
Albert Feliu-Soler, Juan Carlos Pascual, Matilde Elices et al.
131 citations
Three weeks of loving-kindness and compassion meditation (LKM/CM) increased acceptance of present-moment experience in patients with borderline personality disorder, compared with mindfulness continuation training. The LKM/CM group also showed remarkable improvements in borderline symptomatology, self-criticism, and self-kindness. LKM/CM appears to be a promising complementary strategy for inclusion in mindfulness-based interventions and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy for treating core symptoms in borderline personality disorder.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
November 13, 2009
Bryany Cusens, Geoffrey B. Duggan, Kirsty Thorne et al.
102 citations
Two studies assessed the Breathworks mindfulness-based pain management programme. In the first pilot study, participants in the intervention group reported significant improvements in depression, outlook, catastrophizing, and pain self-efficacy, with particularly large effects for pain acceptance, while a comparison group showed no change. The second study found that scores on the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale increased significantly in the intervention group but not in the comparison group; no change occurred on a sustained attention measure. An Implicit Association Test suggested increased awareness of positive stimuli after the programme. The findings support the programme's short-term efficacy and the role of acceptance in chronic pain.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
July 2, 2023
Aileen Kucsera, Trisha Suppes, Nancy A Haug
27 citations
Mental health professionals in California report limited knowledge about the risks and benefits of psychedelic use, with average knowledge scores of 4.7 and 5.4 on a 10-point scale. 45% feel inadequately informed to counsel patients on psychedelic use. Despite this, 97% support additional research, 91% approve of medical use, and 89% believe in therapeutic benefits. 73% discuss psychedelics with patients, but 49% are uncomfortable addressing their effects. Greater knowledge correlates with more favorable attitudes and clinical practices. The findings indicate a need for better provider education on psychedelics.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
January 1, 2024
Yan-Li Wang, Xiao-Fang Zhang, Xiao-Ping Wang et al.
16 citations
Combining mindfulness-based stress reduction with exercise therapy improves anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and overall psychological distress in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have not had surgery. Sixty such patients were divided into two groups of thirty; one group received conventional psychological nursing care, while the other received the combined intervention. At six and eight weeks after treatment, both groups showed significantly lower scores on measures of anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and the Brief Symptom Rating Scale, but the combined intervention group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group at those time points.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
January 1, 2024
Zhenzhen Wang, Kaerqika Shalihaer, Stefan G Hofmann et al.
10 citations
A 49-day online mindfulness intervention for emotional distress (MIED) increased attentional control and reduced anxiety and depression in 498 adults with high emotional distress, compared with a waitlist control group. Changes became evident by the third week. Statistical analyses showed that improvements in attentional control mediated the program's effects on later anxiety and depression levels. The findings suggest that mindfulness-based programs may alleviate emotional distress partly by strengthening attentional control.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
January 1, 2024
Lulu Kou, Min Liu, Shaowei Kang et al.
5 citations
Adding mindfulness meditation to standard care plus a sleep medication improved sleep quality, reduced anxiety and depression, and enhanced motor function more than standard care alone in people who had a stroke and also have coronary heart disease. In a 6-week program, those who practiced mindfulness showed better scores on measures of sleep, mood, and movement at both 6 and 12 weeks. The improvement in overall sleep quality was notably larger in the mindfulness group. The findings suggest mindfulness meditation is a helpful addition for managing sleep and emotional difficulties and supporting physical recovery after stroke in patients with heart disease.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
July 1, 2024
Marya Hicks, Laura M. Simonds, Linda Morison
4 citations
Imagery rescripting interventions improve sleep quality in military veterans, but their effect on nightmare frequency is not statistically significant. A meta-analysis of 15 studies with 658 participants found that veterans receiving imagery rescripting showed significantly greater improvements in sleep quality compared to control groups. However, no significant difference was found for nightmare frequency. The review included studies with poor methodological quality and considerable heterogeneity, so findings should be interpreted cautiously. Further research with larger, more diverse veteran samples is needed.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
January 1, 2024
Lance L. Hawley, Diana M Lisi, Margaret A Richter et al.
2 citations
Re-analyzing data from a randomized trial of an 8-week technology-supported mindfulness (TSM) treatment for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), reductions in rumination and worry were greater in the TSM group than in a waitlist control. Statistical models showed that decreased worry predicted later OCD symptom improvement, while rumination did not show this predictive relationship. The findings suggest that worry reduction may be a mechanism through which mindfulness-based treatment alleviates OCD symptoms.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
January 1, 2026
Lennart Seizer, Leonhard Kratzer, Johanna Löchner et al.
1 citation
Psychiatric inpatients with depression, PTSD, dissociative disorders, or personality disorders completed a therapy process questionnaire each evening for an average of 81.5 days. Eight dynamic process characteristics—such as variability, autocorrelation, instability, and complexity—were computed for each patient. No significant differences in these characteristics or their change over time were found across diagnostic groups, suggesting that individual within-person patterns overshadow diagnostic distinctions. Clinical improvement was linked to rising average levels and declining variability in positive emotions, mindfulness, insight, and motivation, and these predictions were not moderated by diagnosis. The findings support a transdiagnostic approach to measurement-based care that uses individual process characteristics to guide interventions.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
November 1, 2025
Xinyan Sun, Maya J. Schroevers, Max O. Lessing et al.
1 citation
A systematic review of 13 studies (2097 participants) found that self-reported mindfulness is consistently associated with lower levels of prolonged grief, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in bereaved adults. Mindfulness also predicted improvements over time in secondary mental health outcomes but not in prolonged grief symptoms specifically. Intervention studies, including one randomized controlled trial, generally supported mindfulness-based interventions for reducing secondary mental health problems, though results were mixed for prolonged grief. The authors conclude that mindfulness holds promise for improving mental health after bereavement but call for more randomized trials and intensive longitudinal research to clarify short- and long-term benefits.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
December 26, 2023
Sascha Thal, Paris Baker, Jonathon Marinis et al.
1 citation
Serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens are being studied as adjuncts in substance-assisted psychotherapy (SAPT) for various disorders. SAPT includes three phases: preparation, administration, and integration, where insights from the psychedelic experience are applied to everyday life. A systematised review of 75 publications found that the effects of different therapeutic approaches for integration sessions on outcomes have not been rigorously investigated. Most available evidence lacks empirical data, limiting conclusions about appropriate frameworks. Current clinical studies mostly draw from the humanistic–experiential tradition. Although integration is considered crucial for safe SAPT, there is insufficient evidence to suggest any therapy type is effective for guiding integration sessions.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
January 1, 2026
Uğur Doğan, Hung Jen Kuo
A randomized controlled trial with 40 US veterans (average age 42) tested whether weekly virtual-reality-assisted meditation sessions improved psychological well-being and mindfulness compared with a no-intervention control group. The VR group scored higher on well-being and perceived system usability right after the program; scores declined slightly at follow-up but remained above the control group's. Benefits were similar regardless of participants' baseline anxiety level. The authors describe VR-assisted meditation as feasible and acceptable for veterans with disabilities but caution that the results are preliminary and do not prove clinical effectiveness or lasting change.
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
January 1, 2025
Hun Kang, Ian C Fischer, Peter J Na et al.
Among a nationally representative sample of 4,069 U.S. military veterans, average mindfulness scores were 5.02 out of 6, with 68.6% reporting high mindfulness. Lower dysphoric arousal was the strongest correlate of mindfulness, followed by fewer somatic symptoms, higher grit, and lower symptoms of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Secure attachment and social support moderated the link between somatic symptoms and mindfulness. Mindfulness was independently and positively associated with mental, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning.