What Next After MBSR/MBCT? An Open Trial of an 8-Week Follow-on Program Exploring Mindfulness of Feeling Tone (vedanā)
J. Williams, Ruth A. Baer, M. Batchelor, R. Crane, C. Cullen, Katherine De Wilde, M. Fennell, Linda Kantor, J. Kirby, S. H. Ma, Emma Medlicott, Barbara Gerber, Mandy Johnson, E. Ong, J. Peacock, D. Penman, Andy Phee, Lucy Radley, M. Watkin, L. Taylor
Mindfulness July 7, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01929-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Open trial Randomized Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 83 |
| Population | Participants who had previously taken part in a mindfulness-based program (majority MBSR or MBCT) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Participants reported significantly reduced depression, stress, and anxiety and increased well-being and mindfulness after the 8-week follow-on course. |
Abstract
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) has been established in many randomized controlled trials. However, effect sizes are often modest, and there remains ample scope to improve their effectiveness. One approach to this challenge is to offer a “follow-on” course to people who have completed an MBP and are interested in further skill development. We developed and tested a new 8-week course for this purpose based on awareness of feeling tone (vedanā), an understudied aspect of mindfulness in many current MBPs, incorporating new developments in neuroscience and trauma sensitivity. We examined its effectiveness and the frequency and severity of unpleasant experience and harm. In an open trial, 83 participants, 78 of whom had previously taken part in an MBP (majority MBSR or MBCT), completed the program in nine groups. Participants completed questionnaires before and after and gave qualitative written feedback at completion. Participants reported significantly reduced depression (d = 0.56), stress (d = 0.36), and anxiety (d = 0.53) and increased well-being (d = 0.54) and mindfulness (d = 0.65) with 38% meeting criteria for reliable change on anxiety and depression. As expected, about three-quarters of participants reported some unpleasant experiences associated with mindfulness practice during the course, but none reported harm. Five participants showed “reliable deterioration” (an increase) in either depression or anxiety, but four of these five also gave anonymous qualitative feedback describing benefits of the course. Findings support the added value of a follow-on course based on the exploration of feeling tone for participants who have a range of previous mindfulness experience.
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 State- and Trait-Level Effects and Candidate Mechanisms of Four Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Practices: Two Exploratory Studies. Mindfulness 2023
- The Mindful Way From Information to Knowledge, to Wisdom, and to Life: Perspectives on Mindfulness (-Based Cognitive Therapy) for Higher Education. Mindfulness 2025
- Mapping the Buddhist Mind: A Scoping Review of Mental Factors and Their Therapeutic Potential in Mental Health Mindfulness March 24, 2026
- Mechanisms of sustained mindfulness practice in stroke survivors: A critical realist secondary analysis of the HEADS: UP intervention. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice December 23, 2025
- Mindfulness based interventions for blood pressure reduction: systematic and umbrella review of existing meta-analyses. Journal of Human Hypertension June 30, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 19
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- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
and 14 more in the library