Distress Tolerance, Distraction, and Mindfulness Matters
Carol Landau
Mood Prep 101 August 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/med-psych/9780190914301.003.0008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that parents should help teens develop distress tolerance rather than solving problems for them, and proposes strategies such as modeling distress tolerance, family mindfulness, and meditation, with exercises for breathing, meditation, mindful observation, and muscle relaxation. A case describes an overwhelmed student whose parents consistently protected her from distress and who subsequently self-medicated with marijuana and alcohol. |
Abstract
This chapter reviews distress tolerance and strategies for developing them in students. Distress tolerance skills were developed in dialectical behavior therapy, particularly relevant to students who have great amounts of difficulty modulating negative emotions. Although parents may be tempted to jump in with problem-solving for their teens, a better approach is to assist teens in developing the ability to tolerate distress. Modeling distress tolerance is one strategy, as is incorporating mindfulness into the family. Meditation is also discussed as a possibility for detaching from negative emotions. Exercises for breathing, meditation, mindful observation, and muscle relaxation are included. A case is discussed––an overwhelmed student whose parents consistently protected her from distress; subsequently, she self-medicated with marijuana and alcohol.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |