Mindfulness
April 29, 2019
J. Michalak, C. Crane, C. Germer et al.
An expert group developed guidelines for responsibly integrating mindfulness practices into individual therapy, informed by a literature review. Recommendations address types of integration, suitable diagnoses, therapist qualifications, case formulation, the inquiry process, optimal practice types and duration, managing difficult experiences, and training programs. The authors note that research on this topic is scarce, so the recommendations are tentative and intended to stimulate further discussion.
Mindfulness
March 18, 2019
L. Cásedas, Vincenzo Pirruccio, M. Vadillo et al.
preprint
A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials found that mindfulness meditation training produces a small-to-medium improvement in executive control (overall effect size g = 0.34). The effect was moderate for working memory (g = 0.42) and inhibitory control (g = 0.42), but negligible for cognitive flexibility (g = 0.09). No evidence of publication bias was detected. The findings provide preliminary, moderate support for mindfulness meditation as an enhancer of executive control, though the authors note limitations in the included studies.
Mindfulness
February 13, 2019
Torbjorn Josefsson, A. Ivarsson, H. Gustafsson et al.
An 8-week Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) intervention improved self-rated athletic training performance in competitive elite athletes more than traditional Psychological Skills Training (PST). Changes in dispositional mindfulness and emotion regulation mediated this improvement. The MAC group showed greater post-test gains in sport-specific mindfulness, emotion regulation abilities, and perceived performance compared to the PST group. The findings suggest that mindfulness and emotion regulation are key mechanisms in the MAC approach, making it a more effective intervention than PST for elite athletes.
Mindfulness
January 12, 2019
A. Tickell, S. Ball, P. Bernard et al.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is delivered effectively and safely in routine mental health services, even though its use has expanded beyond the originally intended population. Across five UK mental health services with 1,554 participants, 47% entered with non-depressed scores, and 96% of those remained non-depressed after treatment. Among the 53% who entered with depressed scores, 45% recovered to non-depressed range, and overall depression severity significantly decreased. Reliable deterioration was low (3%), comparable to other psychotherapies.
Mindfulness
June 1, 2018
Christina M. Luberto, Nina Shinday, Rhayun Song et al.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trials with 1,714 subjects found that meditation practices produce small to medium improvements in pro-social emotions and behaviors. The effects were similar for self-reported emotions and observed behavioral outcomes, and held even when compared with active control groups. Most studies used compassion or loving-kindness meditation over 8–12 weeks in healthy adults. The findings suggest meditation can enhance empathy, compassion, and helping behavior.
Mindfulness
May 31, 2018
F. Jain, P. Fonagy
Mentalizing imagery therapy (MIT) combines guided imagery and mindfulness practices to help people understand mental states—their own and others'—and how those states drive behavior, a capacity called mentalization. MIT is designed to reduce negative psychological symptoms, especially in patients with personality disorders or depression, by improving insight during challenging interpersonal situations. The authors describe MIT as distinct from other mindfulness or compassion-based therapies in both its methods and goals. While case discussions suggest MIT may improve mentalization and reduce depression and anxiety, the authors note that controlled trials are needed to establish clinical efficacy.
Mindfulness
May 2, 2018
Dawn Querstret, M. Cropley, C. Fife-Schaw
An online mindfulness program reduced perceived stress, anxiety, and depression in adults from the general population. In a randomized trial with 118 participants, those who completed the intervention reported significantly lower stress, anxiety, and depression compared with waitlist controls, and these improvements persisted at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. The positive effects were primarily explained by an increase in non-judging, a facet of mindfulness. The findings support the effectiveness of delivering mindfulness training online, which may improve accessibility and reduce costs.
Mindfulness
April 12, 2018
Birgit Mayer, Marike G. Polak, Danielle Remmerswaal
Across two online surveys, greater dispositional mindfulness and acceptance were consistently linked to smaller cognitive interpretation bias and lower depression and anxiety symptoms. Interpretation bias mediated the relationship between mindfulness and acceptance, on one hand, and depression and anxiety symptoms on the other. The findings provide insight into how mindfulness-based treatments may reduce internalizing psychopathology.
Mindfulness
March 1, 2018
M. Economides, Janis Martman, M. Bell et al.
A brief mindfulness meditation program delivered via a smartphone app improved irritability, affect, and stress from external pressure more than a psychoeducational audiobook control in healthy novice meditators. Both interventions reduced stress linked to personal vulnerability. The mindfulness group showed moderate between-group effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.44 to 0.47) on the three outcomes where it outperformed the control. The findings suggest that smartphone apps can effectively deliver mindfulness training and that even brief practice benefits several aspects of psychosocial well-being.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Peter G. Grossenbacher, Jordan T. Quaglia
A new theoretical framework called the contemplative cognition framework is proposed to clarify confusion about mindfulness from a scientific perspective. It uses foundational psychological constructs—attention, intention, and awareness—to derive three novel processes: intended attention, attention to intention, and awareness of transient information. These processes cooperate to promote metacognition and enhanced regulation of cognition, emotion, and behavior. The framework aims to overcome discrepancies in mindfulness research, account for contextual and motivational aspects of training, and support investigations from phenomenological, information processing, neurophysiological, and clinical perspectives, advancing a more inclusive and theory-driven science of mindfulness and meditation.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Anjulie Dhillon, Elizabeth Sparkes, Rui V. Duarte
A systematic review of 14 studies examined whether mindfulness-based interventions during pregnancy improve mental health and mindfulness. Pooled results from randomized controlled trials showed no differences between mindfulness and control groups for anxiety, depression, or perceived stress. However, non-randomized studies indicated significant benefits for those outcomes. Both randomized and non-randomized trials found that mindfulness interventions significantly increased levels of mindfulness compared to controls. The review suggests mindfulness-based interventions can be beneficial for anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and mindfulness during the perinatal period, though more research is needed on long-term postnatal effects.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Lea K. Hildebrandt, Cade McCall, Tania Singer
A 9-month longitudinal study (the ReSource Project) compared three 3-month mental training modules. The attention-focused "Presence" module increased observing, nonreacting, and presence but not acceptance or nonjudging. The socio-cognitive "Perspective" module improved acceptance, and the socio-affective "Affect" module improved nonjudging and compassion. Only the Affect module uniquely raised compassion and self-compassion scores. Thus, present-moment attention training alone is insufficient to cultivate ethical-motivational qualities; explicit socio-cognitive and compassion-based practices are needed for broad changes in nonjudgmental attitude, compassion, and self-compassion.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Jodie C. Stevenson, Lisa-Marie Emerson, Abigail Millings
Adults with insecure attachment—either anxious or avoidant—tend to report lower levels of mindfulness. A meta-analysis of 33 quantitative studies found moderate negative correlations between attachment anxiety and overall mindfulness, and between attachment avoidance and overall mindfulness. Across the five mindfulness facets (acting with awareness, observing, describing, non-reacting, non-judging), the only exception was a small positive link between attachment anxiety and the observe facet. Effect sizes ranged from small to medium. The findings consolidate evidence that attachment insecurity is consistently associated with reduced trait mindfulness, though causality cannot be determined from cross-sectional designs.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Matthew S. Goodman, Laila A. Madni, Randye J Semple
Seven self-report measures exist for assessing trait mindfulness in youth: the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale for Adolescents (MAAS-A), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale for Children (MAAS-C), Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences-Adolescents (CHIME-A), Mindful Thinking and Action Scale for Adolescents (MTASA), Mindfulness Scale for Pre-Teens, Teens, and Adults (MSPTA), and Mindfulness Inventory for Children and Adolescents (MICA). The review identifies methodological concerns with the near-exclusive reliance on self-report measures and offers suggestions for validating new measures and improving assessment research.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Catherine I. Andreu, Cristóbal Moënne-Loccoz, Vladimir Lopez et al.
Regular long-term meditation practice is associated with enhanced performance monitoring, the ability to detect and correct errors. Meditators made significantly fewer errors than non-meditator athletes on a challenging attention task. EEG recordings showed larger amplitudes in two brain potentials related to performance monitoring—the error-related negativity and correct-related negativity—in meditators compared to controls. These results suggest that meditation may improve cognitive control, specifically performance monitoring, which is often impaired in psychiatric disorders such as ADHD and substance use disorder.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Christopher R. Berghoff, Linnie E. Wheeless, Timothy R. Ritzert et al.
Two weeks of daily mindfulness meditation, whether prescribed for 10 or 20 minutes, led to similar levels of adherence and comparable reductions in stress and increases in mindfulness among young adults. Participants assigned to 20-minute sessions reported larger gains in self-compassion than those assigned to 10-minute sessions, even though both groups meditated on roughly the same number of days and for similar total time. The findings suggest that longer prescribed meditation times may enhance self-compassion without reducing adherence.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Claire Adams Spears, Sean C. Houchins, Wendy P. Bamatter et al.
In a low-income, primarily African American sample of adults receiving mental health services, mindfulness was perceived as potentially beneficial for managing stress, anger, sleep, chronic pain, and promoting healthier behaviors. Participants also saw mindfulness as compatible with and possibly enhancing their religious and spiritual practices. The findings suggest ways to tailor mindfulness-based interventions for underserved populations.
Mindfulness
December 1, 2017
Christina M. Luberto, Rachel S. Wasson, Kristen M. Kraemer et al.
A 4-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) group program offered to hospital employees was acceptable and associated with reduced stress and burnout. Among 65 employees, attendance declined from 76% at session 2 to 54% at session 4, mainly due to work scheduling conflicts. Participants rated the program highly (average 9.18 out of 10) and 51% practiced mindfulness at least three times weekly. Stress decreased by an average of 2.1 points and burnout by 0.46 points, with medium to large effects. Qualitative feedback indicated improved self-regulation, mindfulness, emotional well-being, and work productivity. The program appears useful but alternative delivery methods are needed to improve attendance.
Mindfulness
October 13, 2017
Kirsty James, K. Rimes
A pilot study compared mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) tailored for perfectionism with a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) self-help guide for university students struggling with perfectionism. Post-intervention, MBCT participants (n=28) showed lower perfectionism and stress than self-help participants (n=32). MBCT also led to greater improvements in unhelpful beliefs about emotions, rumination, mindfulness, self-compassion, and decentering. At 10-week follow-up, MBCT maintained effects and showed superior outcomes for perfectionism and daily impairment. Changes in self-compassion mediated improvements in clinical perfectionism, and more mindfulness practice was linked to greater self-compassion gains. The authors conclude MBCT is promising but requires replication with a larger sample.
Mindfulness
October 6, 2017
C. Luberto, E. Park, J. Goodman
A pilot study of an 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) intervention for pregnant women with elevated anxiety found that improvements in anxiety, worry, mindfulness, and self-compassion were maintained 3 months postpartum, and reductions in depression further improved. Participants were generally adherent to formal practice recommendations during the intervention, and many continued practicing postpartum. However, the amount of mindfulness practice during the intervention was not significantly correlated with any outcome at post-intervention or postpartum; postpartum practice was only marginally related to reduced worry. The authors suggest MBCT may be associated with maintained improvements, but the role of mindfulness practice remains unclear.
Mindfulness
June 6, 2017
Pauline Eva Ruijgrok-Lupton, R. Crane, D. Dorjee
A pilot study of 9 teachers and 31 participants in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) courses found that participants taught by teachers who completed an additional year of mindfulness-based teacher training and assessment showed significantly larger gains in well-being and reductions in perceived stress. No correlation was found between participant outcomes and teachers' mindfulness-based teaching and meditation experience. The results suggest that higher levels of formal teacher training, rather than accumulated experience, may be linked to better participant outcomes, highlighting the need for further research with larger samples.
Mindfulness
May 29, 2017
B. Fredrickson, Aaron J. Boulton, A. Firestine et al.
Both mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation increase daily positive emotions without changing negative emotions. The more minutes people meditated on a given day, the more positive emotions they reported that day, and people who meditated more over the 9-week period also experienced greater overall gains in positive emotions. This dose-response relationship was stronger for loving-kindness meditation than for mindfulness meditation. The findings suggest that either practice can improve emotional well-being.
Mindfulness
March 28, 2017
Laura Freudenthaler, Josephine D. Turba, U. Tran
Mindfulness improves mental health in the general population largely by enhancing emotion regulation, not only in clinical samples. In a study of 853 adults, difficulties in emotion regulation partially explained the link between overall mindfulness and fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety; the link with the Observe facet of mindfulness was fully explained by emotion regulation. These associations were similar for men and women. Training in mindfulness and emotion regulation may therefore benefit mental health broadly.
Mindfulness
January 12, 2017
M. Huijbers, R. Crane, W. Kuyken et al.
In a multi-centre trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for recurrent depression, teacher competence—assessed using the Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI:TAC)—showed no significant association with patient adherence, potential mechanisms of change (rumination, cognitive reactivity, mindfulness, self-compassion), or key outcomes (depressive symptoms post-treatment and depressive relapse/recurrence over 15 months). The authors suggest several possible explanations, including the standardized delivery of MBCT, the emphasis on self-reliance in the learning process, participant-related factors, challenges in assessing teacher competence, and the limited sample of videotaped sessions. Further research is needed to explore these explanations.
Mindfulness
January 1, 2017
Martin Gartenschläger, Mathias Schreckenberger, Hans-Georg Buchholz et al.
Dispositional mindfulness, the trait of being aware of present experiences without judgment, is linked to specific patterns of brain activity at rest. In 32 individuals (23 with mental disorders, 9 healthy controls), higher mindfulness scores on the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale were associated with greater resting glucose metabolism in the superior parietal lobule and left precuneus, core areas of the default mode network involved in sense of self. Conversely, lower metabolism appeared in the left inferior frontal orbital gyrus and bilateral thalamus, regions tied to memory, decision making, and outward attention. These relationships held after adjusting for depression, anxiety, age, and education.