Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science
March 1, 2025
Simon B. Goldberg, Ashley D Kendall, Matthew J. Hirshberg et al.
15 citations
In a randomized controlled trial of a meditation app with 662 participants (80.4% had elevated depression or anxiety), the relationship between how much people used the app (dosage) and changes in psychological distress was inconsistent. Across 41 different statistical models, some showed that more use—measured in minutes, days, or activities completed—was linked to greater reductions in distress, but many models found no such link, and a few even suggested the opposite pattern. This variability highlights the challenge of defining and studying dosage in meditation app interventions and points to the need for careful, transparent methods in this area.
Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science
January 1, 2025
Matthew J. Hirshberg, Cortland J. Dahl, Daniel M. Bolt et al.
9 citations
A four-week smartphone-based meditation intervention reduced psychological distress in adults, most of whom had clinical anxiety or depressive symptoms during the early COVID-19 pandemic. The intervention improved four proposed mediators—mindful action, loneliness, cognitive defusion, and purpose—which together accounted for 21.9% to 62.5% of the effect on distress at three-month follow-up. In a multiple mediator analysis, reduced loneliness alone explained 61.7% of the combined indirect effect. The findings suggest multiple psychological pathways may mediate distress reduction in digital meditation-based interventions.
Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science
May 1, 2024
Simon B. Goldberg, Zishan Jiwani, Daniel M. Bolt et al.
8 citations
A strong working alliance significantly enhances engagement in smartphone-based interventions. In a study involving 302 participants, with 80% experiencing elevated depression or anxiety, bidirectional relationships were observed between psychological distress and alliance during a 4-week meditation program. Effect sizes ranged from -.09 to -.14, comparable to those seen in traditional psychotherapy. These findings suggest that measuring alliance could improve the effectiveness of mobile health tools, highlighting the importance of digital technology in mental health support.
Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science
June 20, 2017
Vaughan Bell, K. Mills, G. Modinos et al.
A debate about how to study psychosis in cognitive science is addressed. The authors agree with critics that the subjective experience of psychosis, especially the presence of illusory social agents, cannot be reduced to simple cognitive errors. They argue that current social-cognition models neglect this central phenomenological feature. They propose that research should also examine how social agents are represented and deployed, not just how social information is processed. They suggest that intersubjective instability in psychosis may be reorganized into illusory social agents as a best-fit explanation, a hypothesis for future study. They advocate for a phenomenologically informed cognitive science to better understand psychosis.
Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science
April 29, 2022
Z. Cohen, R. DeRubeis, Rachel Hayes et al.
Depression often returns even after successful treatment. Using data from 424 adults with recurrent depression, researchers built models to predict relapse over 24 months for those continuing antidepressant medication (ADM) versus switching to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Only the ADM model modestly predicted relapse better than baseline severity. People with the poorest ADM prognosis who switched to MBCT had lower relapse rates (48% vs. 70%) and longer time before relapse than those who stayed on ADM. For those with moderate or good ADM prognosis, both treatments led to similar relapse likelihood. The results suggest predictive models could help tailor relapse prevention choices.
Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science
May 18, 2021
Willoughby B. Britton, Jared R. Lindahl, David J. C. Cooper et al.
In a sample of 96 participants in an 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program, 83% reported at least one meditation-related side effect when assessed with the Meditation Experiences Interview. Negative-valence effects or negative impacts on functioning occurred in 58% and 37% of participants, respectively. Lasting bad effects, experienced by 6% to 14% of the sample, were linked to signs of dysregulated arousal such as hyperarousal and dissociation. The findings suggest that meditation practice in mindfulness-based programs is associated with transient distress and negative impacts at rates similar to those seen with other psychological treatments.