Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as an Adjunct to Outpatient Psychotherapy
Myra Weiss, Johanna W. Nordlie, Eric P. Siegel
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2005 DOI: 10.1159/000083169 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Psychotherapy |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Both groups showed comparable significant decreases in psychological distress, but the MBSR group had significantly greater gains on a novel measure of goal achievement and terminated therapy at a significantly higher rate than the psychotherapy-alone group. |
Abstract
Background: Research on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has supported the utility of the technique in a number of clinical settings. This study explored whether MBSR, used as an adjunct to individual psychotherapy, would result in more rapid alleviation of symptoms, increased achievement of therapeutic goals, and a decrease in number of therapy sessions sought by clients.
Methods: A group undergoing psychotherapy coupled with training in MBSR was compared with a group undergoing psychotherapy alone.
Results: At the conclusion of MBSR training, the groups showed a comparable significant decrease in psychological distress. However, the MBSR group’s gains on a novel measure of goal achievement were significantly greater than those of the comparison group. In addition, the MBSR group terminated therapy at a significantly greater rate than the comparison group.
Conclusion: The effects of introducing MBSR early in psychotherapy, as well as its effect on self-directed goal attainment in non-psychotherapy contexts, deserve further attention.