Benefits Of Mindfulness-based Interventions Research Articles

The use of mindfulness-based interventions in stroke rehabilitation: A scoping review.

There is emerging evidence for the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to improve health outcomes in the context of stroke rehabilitation. This scoping review identified recently available evidence and possible research gaps regarding how MBIs affect psychological and physical rehabilitation outcomes in individuals poststroke. Electronic searches were performed using the four major databases, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Sixteen studies out of a total of 404 relevant studies met the selection criteria for inclusion in this review. Our findings indicate diverse results on the benefits of MBIs in individuals poststroke across a range of rehabilitative outcomes. For instance, significant improvements in mental fatigue, cognition, and quality of life were observed for most of the studies while the outcomes for mood and physical functioning were mixed. The available evidence lends qualified support to the view that mindfulness has the potential to be a therapeutic intervention that offers health benefits to individuals poststroke. Yet, the diversity of results highlights the need for a more rigorous examination in further research. We also identified several knowledge gaps in mindfulness research in the stroke population, such as the limited amount of evidence for mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), inadequate evaluations of physical outcomes, and the lack of methodologically robust trials. Further investigations are warranted to strengthen the evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of MBIs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Predictive Factors of Response to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (Mbct) for Patients with Depressive Symptoms: The Machine Learning’s Point of View

While there is abundant literature on the benefits of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI), data about factors associated with their Efficiency are scarce. Our study attempts to determine the moderators of efficacy and adherence in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) with a machine learning analysis. Seventy-six psychiatric outpatients at “university hospital mental health service” had a prescription for MBCT from their referring psychiatrist. They suffer from various psychiatric illnesses with depressive symptoms. They completed a battery of clinical, mindfulness, and psychological functioning self-report questionnaires before and after the MBCT intervention of 8 sessions. Changes (after minus before) in scores were used for efficacy. Scores before MBCT were used to study the adherent profile (8 sessions of MBCT) versus non-adherent patients (stopping MBCT before the eight sessions). For efficacy and adherence profiles, machine learning analysis based on the support vector machine (SMV) method was applied to complement classical statistical analyses. Results: For efficacy factors, the SVM analysis finds a two-dimensional profile of patients. The patients for whom MBCT is most effective are patients with a high Beck score (>25) and high trait mindfulness (FFMQ >90). The percentage of misclassified validation examples is 24.6 (LOO = 75.4). The model's sensitivity is 79.3%, and the specificity is 71.9%. For adherence factors, a three-dimensional model is found. The patients who perform the 8 sessions of the MBCT have a profile with high or low trait mindfulness, high or low bodily dissociation, and low self-compassion. The percentage of misclassified validation examples is 37.3 (LOO = 62.7). The model's sensitivity is 48.4%, and the specificity is 71.9%. These results provide preliminary evidence that the predictive power of machine learning may allow the designing of standard patient profiles, which can contribute to 3 more personalized care for patients with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Also, including more psychoeducation in MBCT programs can maximize clinical benefits and adherence to this therapy. However, further studies are needed to explore this topic in more detail.

A Mini-Review of Work Stress and Mindfulness: A Neuropsychological Point of View.

Work stress is consistently linked with the deterioration of cognitive and mental health, limitations in everyday workplace performance, and an increased risk of developing diseases. A common thread binding these consequences appears to be stress-associated alterations in neuropsychological functions and affective domains, especially those reliant on hippocampal, prefrontal, and amygdala brain area. Although research broadly supports the claim that the practice of mindfulness meditation for the reduction of the consequences of stress and the promotion of health exert positive effects on workplaces, the precise neuropsychological benefits of Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in the context of organizations remain elusive. In this review, we will analyze the impairments imposed by stress on the brain areas and functions and the benefits of MBIs from a neuropsychological point of view. This is significant since there is a centrality of cognitive functions in core processes necessary for work achievements, such as emotion regulation, problem-solving, and learning. The promotion of wellbeing is a responsibility shared between workers and organizations. Developing healthy environments allows workers to exercise greater control over their work, face work challenges, work productively and develop their talent.

Effects of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention on the Chronic use of Hypnotics in Treatment-Seeking Women with Insomnia: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Hypnotics are one of the most frequently prescribed drugs worldwide, especially for women, and their chronic use may lead to tolerance, dosage escalation, dependence, withdrawal syndrome, and cognitive impairments, representing a significant public health problem. Consistent evidence from previous studies shows benefits of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for substance use disorders (SUD) and insomnia. However, to date, there is a lack of research about effects of MBIs on reduction/cessation of chronic hypnotic use among women with insomnia. The present randomized trial evaluated the efficacy of the 8-week group-delivered mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) program in an intervention group (IG, n = 34) compared with weekly phone monitoring only in the control group (CG, n = 36) in reducing hypnotic use and insomnia severity over a 6-month follow-up period. There were significant differences between groups at baseline regarding hypnotic use but not insomnia. Group effects on hypnotic use were found immediately after the intervention (bT1 = 2.01, p < 0.001) and at the 2-month follow-up (bT2 = 2.21, p < 0.001), favoring the IG. The IG also had a greater reduction from baseline levels than the control group in insomnia severity at the 4-month (bT3 = 0.21, p = 0.045) and 6-month (bT4 = 0.32, p = 0.002) follow-ups. The findings provide preliminary evidence of benefits of MBRP for reducing insomnia severity and potentially chronic hypnotic use. However, IG effects on chronic hypnotic use may have resulted from IG and control group differences in chronic hypnotic use at baseline. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02127411.

Mindfulness-based therapies for men and women with sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Mindfulness based interventions (MBI) may be an effective treatment for sexual dysfunction among men and women. A literature review identified seven trials for sexual dysfunction and MBI. Of these, four trials were Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) including a control-group wait list and three studies used within-subjects design. A meta-analysis synthesized the results across these trials which demonstrated an overall low to moderate effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.55). Moderate heterogeneity between studies was evident with possible publication bias. Sub-group analysis revealed differences between study weights, where overall higher effect sizes were found among RCTs (d = 0.65) than within subject design studies (d = 0.27). However, within subject design studies tended to include pre and post-physiological measurements (e.g. vaginal photoplethysmography), which may provide a more precise evaluation of the benefits of MBI, rather than studies based on self-report measures only. This review identified a gender inequality in which clinical trials predominated among women compared to men with a 6:1 ratio. Whilst MBI looks promising, significantly more research is needed, particularly among men, so that science, practice and policy can develop an understanding of the potential benefits of non-prescription intervention alternatives, or as a biopsychosocial adjunct, such as MBI, in support of those experiencing sexual dysfunction.

Phenomenological Research Fails to Capture the Experience of Nondual Awareness

Over the past two decades, a comprehensive literature has emerged about the health benefits of mindfulness-based interventions. Many of the practices taught in such programs have been adapted from traditional Buddhist practices and were informed by Buddhist understandings of how the mind creates suffering. During the process of secularizing the practices for the broad application in psychological interventions, some of the traditional and ritualistic elements of mindfulness were removed. Recent criticism of secular mindfulness programs for the diminished role assigned to ethics and insight generated considerable debate, which has been met with elaborate responses. Another debate concerns the alleged focus of secular mindfulness practice only on alleviation of immediate health issues. This is in contrast to the transformative aspects of mindfulness practice that are fostered in Buddhism, such as the development of nondual awareness. Informed directly by Mahāyāna Buddhist teachings on emptiness and communicated as the dissolution of subject and object, nondual awareness relates to pre-reflective experience and superficially appears to be a suitable subject matter for qualitative approaches such as phenomenological inquiry. The relevance of mindfulness in the process of phenomenological research has been illustrated previously. However, as the present discussion demonstrates, phenomenology fails to appreciate the idea of true emptiness and thus cannot free itself from the limitations of reification and objectification. Because of its focus on co-generated essence and structure of experience as opposed to raw and pre-reflective experience, phenomenology fails to capture the experience of nondual awareness.

Investigating the Specific Effects of an Online Mindfulness-Based Self-Help Intervention on Stress and Underlying Mechanisms

Previous research examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and their mechanisms of change has been hampered by failure to control for non-specific factors, such as social support and interaction with group members, facilitator contact and expectation of benefit, meaning that it remained possible that benefits of MBIs could have been attributable, perhaps entirely, to non-specific elements. This experimental study examined the effects of a 2-week online mindfulness-based self-help (MBSH) intervention compared to a well-matched classical music control condition and a waitlist control condition on perceived stress. This study also tested mindfulness, self-compassion and worry as mechanisms of the effects of MBSH versus both control conditions on stress. University students and staff (N = 214) were randomised to MBSH, classical music, or waitlist conditions and completed self-report measures pre-, mid- and post-intervention. Post-intervention, MBSH was found to significantly reduce stress compared to both control conditions. Bootstrapping-based mediation analyses used standardised residualised change scores for all variables, with mediators computed as change from baseline to mid-intervention, and the outcome computed as change from baseline to post-intervention. Changes in mindfulness, self-compassion and worry were found to significantly mediate the effects of MBSH versus both control conditions on changes in stress. Findings suggest that cultivating mindfulness specifically confers benefits to stress and that these benefits may occur through improving theorised mechanisms.

Mindfulness-based interventions for addictive behaviors: Implementation issues on the road ahead.

Over the past 35 years, mindfulness meditation practices have increasingly been integrated into Western medical settings. Research into the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) continues to expand, such that there are currently more than a dozen different protocolled MBIs for patients suffering from a variety of physical and psychological disorders. In the last decade, a number of MBIs specifically designed to treat addictive behaviors have been developed and tested. This review first provides a brief overview of the current state of the science with respect to the efficacy of MBIs for addictive behaviors, and some of the proposed mechanisms underlying the efficacy of MBIs. Second, the review highlights unresolved implementation issues and provides suggestions for how future research can address the implementation challenges to advance the delivery of MBIs. Specifically, this review focuses on the lack of clear empirical guidelines in the following areas: (a) effective training for MBI treatment providers; (b) adaptations of the traditional 2-hr closed-cohort group format; (c) delivery of MBIs in 1-on-1 treatment contexts; (d) delivery of MBIs at different points in the change process; (e) delivery of MBIs via technology-based platforms; and (f) facilitation of precision medicine in the delivery of MBIs. Specific research directions are suggested with an eye toward a meaningful increase in access to MBIs for front-line clinicians and clients. (PsycINFO Database Record

Benefits of a 12-Week Mindfulness Group Program for Mental Health Consumers in an Outpatient Setting

Stress has been shown to increase the risk of development and relapse of mental illness, having a detrimental effect on human physiology, psychology and emotional well-being. Mindfulness-based techniques have been shown to be effective in reducing levels of stress, as well as anxiety and depression in both clinical and non-clinical populations. The reported benefits of mindfulness-based interventions are numerous, and in the past few decades, several therapeutic interventions have been developed to incorporate mindfulness as a key component in the treatment of a range of medical and psychological disorders. In our study, we proposed that the integration of three evidence-based mindfulness interventions would result in an effective program to reduce stress, depression and anxiety in a mixed clinical population, in a community health setting. A group-based mindfulness program, attended by seven participants, was piloted and the data collected at baseline (pre-program), post-program and 12-month follow-up were compared. Post-program results showed that participants’ levels of depression, anxiety and stress were significantly reduced, perceived ability to cope increased, and that gains made were largely sustained at 12-month follow-up. These results add to the current research showing the effectiveness of mindfulness for reducing stress, anxiety and depression in both clinical and non-clinical populations. Our study provides preliminary support for the amalgamation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy in order to effectively meet the needs of a mixed diagnostic group.