Chapter 8 - Anxiety disorders: Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy

Abstract

Evidence-based mindfulness training provides an established way to promote mental health and is a commonly applied feature of psychotherapeutic approaches of the third wave of cognitive behavioral therapy. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) integrates mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive therapy to provide a “best of both worlds” solution to specific cases of psychological disorders and focuses on relapse prevention. Initially, MBCT was an 8-week group program for the relapse prevention of recurrent depression. However, its scope has since been extended to conditions like anxiety disorders and further modes of delivery, including the integration into individual therapy settings. Recent years have seen an increase of mobile health apps and other self-help formats to disseminate mindfulness-based interventions and assist daily mindfulness practices. This chapter reviews current applications of MBCT in anxiety disorders, narratively summarizes the evidence base, provides examples of implementation, and discusses potential contraindications.