Feasibility of mindfulness-based therapy in patients recovering from a first psychotic episode: a pilot study.
Renate Van der Valk, Susanna Van de Waerdt, Carin J Meijer, Ingrid Van den Hout, Lieuwe de Haan
Early Intervention in Psychiatry February 1, 2013 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-7893.2012.00356.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Nonrandomized, non-controlled prospective follow-up study Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | People recently recovering from a first episode of psychosis |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based therapy |
| Duration | Eight 1-hour sessions within a 4-week time span |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Mindfulness-based therapy did not significantly increase psychotic symptoms in people recovering from a first episode of psychosis, but also did not raise mindfulness levels. |
Abstract
Recently, a mindfulness therapy for people with psychotic disorders was developed. However, clinicians and researchers are cautious given case reports in which extensive meditation provoked psychotic symptoms in people with a psychotic disorder. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility, adverse effects and possible favourable effects of mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) in people recently recovering from a first episode of psychosis. A nonrandomized, non-controlled prospective follow-up study. Patients were offered an MBT that consisted of eight 1-hour sessions within a 4-week time span. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Symptoms Checklist 90 and the Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire were assessed before and after the therapy. Of the 16 persons who started MBT, 13 completed (81.5%) the therapy. No significant increase in psychotic symptoms was found. Between two meetings, one participant initially misunderstood the mindfulness instructions, which led to an increase in distress. No increased awareness of intrusive thoughts or visual or auditory hallucinations was reported by participants. We found a decrease in agoraphobic symptoms (p < 0.028) and in psychoneuroticism (P < 0.025). The MBT had no significant adverse effect on psychotic symptoms in patients in this small pilot study, neither did it raise the level of mindfulness in the participants. A decrease in psychological symptoms was found, although one patient experienced an increase in symptoms of distress. Our study demonstrates that therapists should be cautious that therapy and practice instructions are understood properly. Future studies are feasible and needed, in larger samples with an RCT design, in order to draw conclusions regarding the effects of the MBT.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- The effect of a mindfulness-based intervention in cognitive functions and psychological well-being applied as an early intervention in schizophrenia and high-risk mental state in a Chilean sample: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial Trials May 25, 2017
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Stress, Heart Rate Variability, Affect, and Wellbeing among People with Schizophrenia International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health November 1, 2021
- Adverse events in meditation practices and meditation‐based therapies: a systematic review Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica August 21, 2020
- Role of Yoga and Mindfulness in Severe Mental Illnesses: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Yoga 2019
- Mindfulness in severe and persistent mental illness: a systematic review. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice November 2018
and 3 more in the library
Cites 10
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well‐being Journal of Clinical Psychology May 16, 2008
- Minding one’s emotions: Mindfulness training alters the neural expression of sadness. Emotion February 1, 2010
- Greater efficiency in attentional processing related to mindfulness meditation Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology September 29, 2009
- Mindfulness and psychological process. Emotion February 1, 2010
and 5 more in the library