The effect of a mindfulness-based intervention in cognitive functions and psychological well-being applied as an early intervention in schizophrenia and high-risk mental state in a Chilean sample: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Alvaro Ignacio Langer, Carlos Schmidt, Rocío Mayol, Marcela Díaz, Javiera Lecaros, Edwin Krogh, Aída Pardow, Carolina Vergara, Guillermo Soto Vergara, Bernardita Pérez-Herrera, María José Villar, Alejandro Maturana, Pablo A. Gaspar
Trials May 25, 2017 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-017-1967-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial (study protocol) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 96 |
| Population | Patients aged 15 to 35 in Santiago, Chile: 48 with a first episode of schizophrenia and 48 with a high-risk mental state |
| Duration | 8-week intervention (eight weekly 1.5-hour workshops), with a 3-month follow-up period |
| Measures | Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS), self-reporting questionnaires |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 42 |
| Key findings | The protocol proposes a multi-center randomized controlled trial to test whether an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention improves cognitive function (measured by MATRICS) and psychological well-being in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and those at high risk of psychosis, with a 3-month follow-up. The authors state the trial will add evidence on the benefits and feasibility of such interventions for reducing cognitive impairment in attention, working memory, and social cognition. |
Abstract
Background: According to the projections of the World Health Organization, 15% of all disabilities will be associated with mental illnesses by 2020. One of the mental disorders with the largest social impacts due to high personal and family costs is psychosis. Among the most effective psychological approaches to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders at the world level is cognitive behavioral therapy. Recently, cognitive behavioral therapy has introduced several tools and strategies that promote psychological processes based on acceptance and mindfulness. A large number of studies support the effectiveness of mindfulness in dealing with various mental health problems, including psychosis. This study is aimed at determining the efficiency of a mindfulness-based program in increasing cognitive function and psychological well-being in patients with a first episode of schizophrenia and a high risk mental state (those at risk of developing an episode of psychosis).
Methods: AND
Design: This is an experimentally designed, multi-center randomized controlled trial, with a 3-month follow-up period. The study participants will be 48 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (first episode) and 48 with a high-risk mental state, from Santiago, Chile, aged between 15 and 35 years. Participants will be submitted to a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), which will involve taking part in eight mindfulness workshops adapted for people with psychosis. Workshops will last approximately 1.5 hours and take place once a week, over 8 weeks. The primary outcome will be the cognitive function through Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) and the secondary outcome will be psychological well-being measured by self-reporting questionnaires.
Discussion: The outcomes of this trial will add empirical evidence to the benefits and feasibility of MBIs for the psychotherapeutic treatment of patients with schizophrenia and high-risk mental states in reducing cognitive impairment in attention, working memory, and social cognition, as well as increasing the psychological well-being by empowering the patients' personal resources in the management of their own symptoms and psychotic experiences.
Trial Registration: ISRCTN registration number ISRCTN24327446 . Registered on 12 September 2016.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Mindfulness Intervention for Improving Psychological Wellbeing Among Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare 2023
- Conceptualizing and Measuring Mindfulness in School Settings: A Mixed Methods Study and Development of Mindfulness in School Scale Journal of Intelligence September 1, 2026
- Mindfulness Training to Reduce Anxiety in Socially Isolated Individuals with Schizophrenia: A Case Study OBM Neurobiology September 15, 2025
- The search for scientific meaning in mindfulness research: Insights from a scoping review. PLoS One May 4, 2022
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training on Hope, Psychological Well-Being, and Functional Recovery in Patients with Schizophrenia Clinical Nursing Research August 12, 2021
Cites 12
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011
- Mindfulness and Psychotherapy FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry 2010
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression. Industrial Psychiatry Journal October 29, 2024
and 7 more in the library