Residential Retreat Research Articles

Examining the effects of a mindfulness-based professional training module on mindfulness, perceived stress, self-compassion and self-determination

Background . Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective in a wide range of health-related problems. Teaching and research with regard to MBIs have largely been conducted in the USA and Europe. The development of teachers of MBIs requires that they embody the practice of mindfulness and acquire pedagogical competencies. Stellenbosch University and the Institute for Mindfulness South Africa have launched a new and innovative training programme consisting of 4 modules, with a blend of residential retreats and e-learning. Internationally, this is the first study that specifically investigates the effects of mindfulness on the mental state of health professionals being trained to teach MBIs in their clinical practice. Objectives . To evaluate the first 9-week module in terms of its effect on mindfulness practice, self-determination, self-compassion and perception of stress. Methods . This is a before-and-after study of 23 participants, using 4 validated tools: Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, Self-Determination Scale, Self-Compassion Scale, Perceived Stress Scale. Results. There were significantly increased scores (p<0.05) for all 4 aspects of mindfulness practice (observing, describing, acting with awareness and accepting without judgement) and self-compassion. There was also a significant decrease in the perception of stress, but no effect on self-determination scores, which were already high at baseline. Conclusion. Potential teachers of MBIs in South Africa demonstrated significant gains in their own mindfulness practice and self-compassion as well as decreased perception of stress during the first module of the training programme. Further research will follow as this group completes the entire programme.

Changing what it means to ‘become a man’: participants’ reflections on a school-based programme to redefine masculinity in the Balkans

Calls to engage men and boys in efforts to promote health, prevent violence and advance gender equality have grown in recent years. However, there remains little evidence or reflection on how most effectively to change harmful norms related to masculinity. The study addresses this gap by exploring the perspectives of participants in the Young Men Initiative (YMI), an innovative programme that aimed to promote healthier masculinities among boys attending vocational high schools in several Balkan countries through educational workshops, residential retreats and a social marketing campaign. Qualitative data were collected through 37 in-depth interviews and 11 focus-group discussions with boys, youth facilitators and teachers. Findings from four schools (in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Prishtina and Zagreb) suggest that several elements of the programme resonated strongly with participants and supported their meaningful engagement in project activities. Five themes emerged as most salient in identifying how and why specific aspects of YMI positively influenced participants: personal reflection, experience-based learning, connections with youth facilitators, new peer groups and aspirational messaging. Building on these insights, the study highlights potentially useful strategies for other programmes seeking to reach boys and transform their understanding of masculinity.

Health-related quality of life outcomes at 1 and 5 years after a residential retreat promoting lifestyle modification for people with multiple sclerosis

There is a strong body of evidence that supports the use of non-drug therapies in the management of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). A 5-day residential retreat for people with MS in Victoria, Australia, promotes lifestyle modification within a patient-centred model of care. Analysis of the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of the retreat participants was undertaken using the MSQOL-54, prior to attendance, 1 and 5 years after the retreat. 274 retreat participants (71%) completed baseline questionnaires. Despite the usually progressive nature of MS, the cohort demonstrated clinically and statistically significant improvements in HRQOL. One year after attending the retreat, median improvements of 11.3% were observed in the overall quality of life domain (p < 0.001); 18.6% in the physical health composite (p < 0.001); and 11.8% in the mental health composite (p < 0.001). In the subset of 165 who had reached the 5-year time-point, there was a 19.5% median improvement in overall quality of life (p < 0.001); 17.8% in the physical health composite (p < 0.001) and 22.8% in the mental health composite (p < 0.001), compared to baseline. Attendance at a retreat promoting lifestyle modification for the integrated management of MS appears to have positive effects on short and medium-term HRQOL. Non-drug therapies should be considered as part of any comprehensive treatment plan for people with MS.

Address of the president, Lord Rees of Ludlow OM KT PRS, given at The Anniversary Meeting on 30 November 2010

Address of the president, Lord Rees of Ludlow OM KT PRS, given at The Anniversary Meeting on 30 November 2010

Pilot study: Retreat intervention predicts improved quality of life and reduced psychological distress among breast cancer patients

Purpose Evaluate the effectiveness of a week-long residential retreat intervention incorporating photographic art therapy in concert with psychoanalytically oriented group therapy and mind-body practices in reducing psychological distress and improving quality of life (QoL) and spiritual well-being for breast cancer patients. Methods 28 female breast cancer patients completed self report assessments of psychological distress, QoL, and spiritual well-being on the first day of the retreat, the last day of the retreat, and a 6 week follow up assessment. Results Repeated measures MANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons revealed the retreat experience to predict significant and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, and somatic stress, coupled with sustained improvements in QoL and spiritual well-being. Conclusions The current findings suggest that breast cancer patients may benefit from participation in a week-long multi-modal retreat center experience involving photographic art therapy and structured group therapy as a means to explore personal strain.

A residential intervention for mothers of terror victims

Abstract This article examines a programme developed in Israel for mothers bereaved as a result of terrorist attacks. The women are offered a two-day, residential retreat with a varied programme of healing interventions. The approach is holistic in design, integrating a number of therapeutic approaches in a group environment, based on Lazarus's multi-modal approach to brief psychotherapy. The authors show how their programme puts into practice theoretical principles about the integrative treatment of traumatic loss.

Writing in the company of other women: exceeding the boundaries

In academic life, writing for publication is a significant responsibility. It can also be a rewarding private pleasure. This article reports on the effects of attending week‐long writing retreats for a group of academic women in Aotearoa New Zealand. The residential retreats have been held twice a year since 1997, and attract women from different institutions, disciplines and at different stages in their careers. Through examining data gathered by open‐ended questionnaires, the author explores the effects of attending the retreats on the participants’ academic writing productivity and pleasure, and on their sense of themselves as academics and writers.

The Centre for Medical Humanities, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, England.

The Centre for Medical Humanities is based within the Royal Free and University College Medical School. With a student body of more than 2,000, this large United Kingdom medical school benefits from being a fully integrated component of University College London. With its strong humanities and science faculties, University College London was founded more than 175 years ago to make education available to wider social and religious groups. With this background, it is logistically and ideologically well suited to sustaining a medical humanities program. The Centre's aims are to raise awareness of the field of medical humanities, to develop resources for the academic and teaching communities, and to build a broad and well-grounded educational program supported by sound educational principles and innovative research. Since 1998, the Centre and its predecessor, the Medical Humanities Unit, which was established by a group of medical educators with a diverse range of interests in the arts and humanities, has built interdisciplinary links and collaborative relationships with individuals and institutions within the university and beyond, nationally and internationally. These links and relationships have provided invaluable contributions and stimulus to the Centre's activities. The undergraduate educational program described in this article includes core and optional teaching throughout the curriculum, and a 1-year intercalated Bachelor of Science in Medical Humanities degree. For postgraduates, the Centre offers the United Kingdom's first continuing professional development accredited 2-day course in medical humanities, and an annual residential retreat open only to graduates of the course.

The "Lost" Treasures of Louis Comfort Tiffany

The works of the Tiffany Studios revolutionized interior design in turn-of-the-century America. All of the company's works-from stained-glass windows to blown-glass vases; lamp shades to inkwells-bore the unique stamp of one man, Louis Comfort Tiffany, who created the Tiffany Studios and supervised every aspect of their production. Many of these official studio pieces are well known today-avidly sought by museums and collectors worldwide. Special ones among them, as well as other lesser known pieces-the lost works of Louis Tiffany himself-are, in a real sense, the core of his astonishing achievement. They comprise his personal oeuvre-the objects made from his original designs for exhibition, for private commissions, or for use in Tiffany's own homes. This book reevaluates Tiffany's art in terms of his personal work-including pieces in all the media that attracted him over the course of his prolific career; stained glass, of course, but also mosaics, blown glass, pottery, jewelry, and enamels. Tiffany's pioneering efforts in interior design are covered, as are his easel paintings and his dream of creating a permanent residential retreat for working artists. Hugh F. McKean also provides much intimate insight into Tiffany's personality, his domestic life, his financial dealings, and his unusual philosophy of art. Lavishly illustrated, the book presents a vivid display of Tiffany's wide-ranging aesthetic. The result is a rare portrait of Tiffany the man-and of the prodigious imagination that almost single-handedly transformed the day-to-day image of a nation and an era.