PROTOCOL: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for improving health and social functioning in adults

Abstract

Psychological well-being is important for our health and our ability to function well in society. We will, however, all encounter challenging situations in the course of our life, whether it is bereavement, poverty, divorce or other life events that upset our balance. When such situations of psychological distress prevail over time, it may affect our health. The mechanism whereby psychological distress may cause illness is being increasingly understood (Cohen 2007, Rosengren 2004). Recently a large prospective study of 10 000 public servants in London over 14 years concluded that 5–10% of cardiovascular disease seemed to be caused by job-stress (Chandola 2008).