Audit of a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Course Within a Prison
Monique Maroney, Armin Luthi, Jill Hanney, Andrew Mantell, Debbie Johnson, Neil Barclay, Jill Satterfield, Rebecca Susan Crane
Journal of Correctional Health Care August 10, 2021 DOI: 10.1089/jchc.18.09.0048 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | People in prison experiencing depression and anxiety |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Participants in prison started the 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy course with high depression and anxiety and low mindfulness; afterward, depression and anxiety were reduced and mindfulness scores increased, which the authors suggest means mindfulness helped participants cope with difficult feelings and sensations. |
Abstract
This article examines the effectiveness of the 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy course for depression within the prison population. Prisons see higher rates of mental ill health across the spectrum. This study examined how a manualized mindfulness approach to treating depression, a major cause of ill health, would affect this cohort. At the beginning of the course, participants were experiencing high levels of depression and anxiety, with low levels of mindfulness. At the end of 8 weeks, levels of depression and anxiety were reduced while mindfulness scores had increased, suggesting that mindfulness helped participants cope with difficult feelings and sensations. Retrospective study informed consent given by participants.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |