Informal Mindfulness Research Articles

Mindfulness as a transtheoretical clinical process.

The use of mindfulness in psychotherapy has garnered the attention of both researchers and therapists over recent years. Based on established research, use of mindfulness with clients is recommended to improve awareness during sessions, reduce ruminative thinking patterns, and increase self-compassion regardless of theoretical orientation. In this article, de-identified clinical material is used to illustrate both informal and formal mindfulness training in session. Further, we provide illustrations of presession and within-session therapist mindfulness, recommending that therapists develop their own mindfulness practice, as research has demonstrated that it is related to important clinical skills including attentiveness, nonjudgment, and improved client perceptions.

Mindfulness training for smoking cessation: Moderation of the relationship between craving and cigarette use

BackgroundSmoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the US, while abstinence rates remain modest. Smoking has been shown to be perpetuated by operant conditioning, notably negative reinforcement (e.g., smoking to relieve negative affective states). Mindfulness training (MT) shows promise for smoking cessation, by potentially altering an individual's tendency to smoke in response to craving. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of MT and mindfulness practice on the relationship between smoking and craving after receiving four weeks of MT. Methods33 adults received MT as part of a randomized trial for smoking cessation. Individuals in the MT condition recorded formal and informal mindfulness practice during treatment using daily diaries. ResultsAnalyses showed that strong correlations between craving and smoking at baseline (r=0.582) were attenuated at the end of treatment (r=0.126). Mindfulness home practice significantly predicted cigarette use (formal: B=−1.21, p=0.007; informal: B=−1.52, p<0.0001) and informal practice moderated the relationship between craving and smoking at the end of treatment (B=0.52, p=0.03). ConclusionsThese findings suggest that MT may be effective as a treatment for smoking cessation and that informal mindfulness practice predicts a decoupling of the association between craving and smoking.

Mindfulness online: a preliminary evaluation of the feasibility of a web-based mindfulness course and the impact on stress

ObjectivesStress has been shown to have a number of negative effects on health over time. Mindfulness interventions have been shown to decrease perceived stress but access to interventions is limited....

Mindfulness Meditation to Improve Care Quality and Quality of Life in Long-Term Care Settings

Quality of long-term care has been the focus of 2 recent Institute of Medicine reports: "Improving the Quality of Long-Term Care"(1) and "Improving the Quality of Care in Nursing Homes."(2) Although there has been some improvementin care quality since regulatory reforms were enacted in 1987,(3) poor care persists.(4) Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are challenged in the provision of optimal care by chronic stress in the workplace, leading to absenteeism, reduced job satisfaction, and increased turnover.(5-7) Mindfulness training, which cultivates a practice of being present in the moment, recognizing stressful situations when they arise, and responding to stress in an adaptive manner,(8) holds promise as a simple, inexpensive approach to reduce CNA stress and improve quality of care and quality of life for residents in long-term care settings. Formal and informal mindfulness practices can readily be incorporated into CNA educational programs.

Depression relapse prophylaxis with Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Replication and extension in the Swiss health care system

Background Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a group intervention that integrates elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with components of mindfulness training to prevent depressive relapse. The efficacy of MBCT compared to Treatment As Usual (TAU), shown in two randomized controlled trials indicates a significant decrease in 1-year relapse rates for patients with at least three past depressive episodes. The present study is the first independent replication trial comparing MBCT + TAU to TAU alone across both language and culture (Swiss health care system). Methods Sixty unmedicated patients in remission from recurrent depression (≥ 3 episodes) were randomly assigned to MBCT + TAU or TAU. Relapse rate and time to relapse were measured over a 60 week observation period. The frequency of mindfulness practices during the study was also evaluated. Results Over a 14-month prospective follow-up period, time to relapse was significantly longer with MBCT + TAU than TAU alone (median 204 and 69 days, respectively), although both groups relapsed at similar rates. Analyses of homework adherence revealed that following treatment termination, the frequency of brief and informal mindfulness practice remained unchanged over 14 months, whereas the use of longer formal meditation decreased over time. Limitations Relapse monitoring was 14 months in duration and prospective reporting of mindfulness practice would have yielded more precise frequency estimates compared to the retrospective methods we utilized. Conclusions Further studies are required to determine which patient characteristics, beyond the number of past depressive episodes, may predict differential benefits from this therapeutic approach.