Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention.
Sona Dimidjian, Zindel V. Segal
American Psychologist October 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1037/a0039589 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Psychological intervention Relevance law Perspective graphical Mental health Psychotherapist Intervention counseling Clinical psychology Applied psychology Artificial intelligence |
| Citations | 297 |
| Key points | Argues that situating mindfulness-based interventions within the NIH stage model reveals gaps in the evidence base that, if unaddressed, will limit their public health impact. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are at a pivotal point in their future development. Spurred on by an ever-increasing number of studies and breadth of clinical application, the value of such approaches may appear self-evident. We contend, however, that the public health impact of MBIs can be enhanced significantly by situating this work in a broader framework of clinical psychological science. Utilizing the National Institutes of Health stage model (Onken, Carroll, Shoham, Cuthbert, & Riddle, 2014), we map the evidence base for mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction as exemplars of MBIs. From this perspective, we suggest that important gaps in the current evidence base become apparent and, furthermore, that generating more of the same types of studies without addressing such gaps will limit the relevance and reach of these interventions. We offer a set of 7 recommendations that promote an integrated approach to core research questions, enhanced methodological quality of individual studies, and increased logical links among stages of clinical translation in order to increase the potential of MBIs to impact positively the mental health needs of individuals and communities.