Use Of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Research Articles

A single-arm, open-label pilot study of neuroimaging, behavioral, and peripheral inflammatory correlates of mindfulness-based stress reduction in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease frequently associated with significant fatigue, anxiety, depression, and stress. These symptoms are difficult to treat, and prominently contribute to the decreases in quality of life observed with MS. The underlying mechanisms of these “silent” symptoms are not well understood and include not just the psychological responses to a chronic disease, but also biological contributions from bidirectional psycho-neuro-immune (dys)regulation of systemic inflammatory biology. To address these issues, we conducted a prospective, observational pilot study to investigate the psychological, biological, and neuroarchitecture changes associated with a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program in MS. The overarching hypothesis was that MBSR modulates systemic and central nervous system inflammation via top-down neurocognitive control over forebrain limbic areas responsible for the neurobiological stress response. 23 patients were enrolled in MBSR and assessed pre/post-program with structural 3 T MRI, behavioral measures, hair cortisol, and blood measures of peripheral inflammation, as indexed by the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) profile. MBSR was associated with improvements across a variety of behavioral outcomes, as well as on-study enlargement of the head of the right hippocampus. The CTRA analyses revealed that greater inflammatory gene expression was related to worse patient-reported anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness, in addition to lower eudaimonic well-being. Hair cortisol did not significantly change from pre- to post-MBSR. These results support the use of MBSR in MS and elucidate inflammatory mechanisms related to key patient-reported outcomes in this population.

The use of mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in psychosis

The use of mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in psychosis

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Chronic Pain Management in the Community Pharmacy Setting: A Cross-Sectional Survey of the General Public's Knowledge and Perceptions.

Patient access to mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a complementary and integrative health approach that is proven to reduce chronic pain, can be increased via community pharmacy-based implementation. However, the general public's awareness and preferences regarding MBSR as a treatment option for chronic pain, including provider roles (pharmacist vs. non-pharmacist), are unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the U.S. general public's knowledge, attitudes, barriers, and programmatic preferences regarding MBSR for chronic pain management, particularly in the community pharmacy setting. A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to U.S. adults ≥18 years via the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) online survey platform. The survey instrument was informed by Anderson's framework for health service utilization. Measures were assessed using multiple-choice and 5-point Likert-type scales (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Primary outcome measures included: (1) knowledge and awareness of MBSR (12-items); (2) confidence in seeking out MBSR for pain (5-items); (3) barriers to receiving MBSR (11-items); (4) beliefs about MBSR in general (12-items); (5) beliefs about community pharmacy-delivered MBSR (15-items); and (6) preferences for MBSR classes/programs (6-items). Outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and influential factors associated with mean beliefs regarding community pharmacy-delivered MBSR for chronic pain management were assessed via multiple linear regression. Of the 302 survey respondents, the majority were white (79.1%) and female (50.7%), with a mean age of 44.65 years. Respondents' self-rated MBSR knowledge (mean [SD] scale score: 2.30 [0.68]) and confidence (2.65 [0.87]) were low, although perceived barriers to access were low overall (2.22 [0.53]). Beliefs regarding the use of MBSR for treatment of chronic pain were positive in general (3.67 [0.71]), but more negative regarding community pharmacy-delivered MBSR (2.38 [0.56]). Confidence in seeking out MBSR (β = 0.297, 95% CI = 0.219 to 0.375; p < 0.001) and current opioid use (β = 0.419, 95% CI = 0.147 to 0.690; p = 0.003) were positively associated with beliefs regarding pharmacy-delivered MBSR, while annual household income (β = -0.124, 95% CI = -0.244 to -0.004; p = 0.043) and level of bodily pain (β = -0.149, 95% CI = -0.291 to -0.008; p = 0.039) exerted statistically significant negative influences. Respondents preferred a hybrid MBSR class format including both online and in-person components (29.7%) as well as both group and individual session options (43.7%). In conclusion, further education is necessary to increase the public's perception of community pharmacies as a resource for complementary and integrative health.

Mindfulness Training's Effect of Pain Outcomes in Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Athletic trainers frequently address and treat musculoskeletal pain (MSK). Complementary and alternative techniques for treating pain are becoming more widely accepted and utilized in clinical practice. Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) is a meditation-based program that is designed to help patients learn to feel things in a non-judgmental way. Previous systematic reviews on mindfulness training have focused a range of conditions including IBS, fibromyalgia, and migraines. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine if the literature supports the use of MBSR as an intervention for MSK pain. Methods: We completed a systematic review utilizing PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were English language, human subjects, peer reviewed, randomized controlled trial, mindfulness training as an intervention, and MSK pain as an outcome measure. An electronic search was conducted using the single phrase “mindfulness training and musculoskeletal pain”. PubMed, Cochran Database, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar were searched. Articles were first eliminated by title, and then by abstract contents. Remaining articles were given a full review and articles not meeting inclusion criteria were eliminated. Articles were assessed using the PEDRO scale with a cutoff score of 6 used to determine inclusion in the systematic review. Final analysis included 19 articles. Results: Study populations included patients diagnosed with cancer, nonspecific low back pain, chronic MSK pain, chronic tension headache, Gulf War illness, upper extremity injury, and one study employed healthy subjects and used experimentally induced pain. Intervention lengths ranged from single day to 10 weeks. Of the 19 studies in the analysis, nine of them indicated statistically significant results in favor of the meditation group for pain outcomes. Other studies noted improvement in the meditation group, but results did not reach statistically significant levels. Conclusion: MBSR has the potential to provide a beneficial effect in the treatment of MSK pain. The results of this systematic review indicate that the benefits of MBSR treatment may depend on the specific patient population and type of MSK pain. Further research is needed, but the systematic review suggests that MBSR may be an effective tool as part of a larger, complementary, and patient-centered care plan.

The use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for lung cancer patients: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention has been extensively applied in cancer patients for relieving symptom burden and its effectiveness has also been demonstrated. However, the effectiveness of MBSR on psychological and physical functions in lung cancer patients has not yet been determined. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to determine the role of MBSR in lung cancer patients. A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledgement Infrastructure (CNKI) will be carried out from their inception until to December 30, 2020. Studies investigating the comparative effects between MBSR and control groups on psychological and physical outcomes will be documented. Data concerning studies, patient characteristics, and outcomes will be extracted. Methodological quality of each eligible randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be assessed individually by two investigators independently using criteria recommended in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 5.1.0. Meanwhile, Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) will be used to assess methodological quality of non-randomized studies. All statistical analyses will be performed with RevMan and STATA softwares. The role of MBSR in lung cancer patients has not yet been demonstrated. This systematic review and meta-analysis will further determine the effectiveness of MBSR on psychological and physical outcomes and QoL among lung cancer patients, which will provide golden references for developing psychological interventions in order to improve patient care and designing future studies to bridge the gap between research findings and clinical practice. We registered the protocol of this systematic review and meta-analysis in Open Science Framework (OSF) platform with a registration DOI of 10.17605/OSF.IO/MWVBQ (available from: https://osf.io/mwvbq).

Incorporating a Mindfulness Program in a Graduate Family Nurse Practitioner Program.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) activities have been shown to have psychological benefits. Studies have identified increased perceived levels of stress in graduate students; however, this is not specific to graduate nursing students. There is very little data on the use of MBSR as a nonpharmacologic tool to decrease stress levels in graduate nurse practitioner students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of MBSR improves the overall perceived stress of graduate nursing students. The pilot MBSR program covered topics such as different forms of mindfulness meditation practice, mindful awareness during yoga postures, and mindfulness during stressful situations. Perceived stress scores mean for the sample (n = 25) was elevated at 26 (+4) indicating moderate stress prior to the MBSR training and significantly decreased post 14-week MBSR training (+6) (p < .05). This finding suggests that the MBSR activities have contributed to the overall reduction in stress in these students. The graduate family nurse practitioner students are now familiar with the benefits of MBSR and can share this practice with their patients. Having this skill as a part of their clinical tool kit and practice will allow them to apply this to patient care and subsequently provide holistic care.

Effects of MBSR Parent Intervention on Internalizing Problems in Children: ASD Status as a Moderator

ABSTRACT Introduction Children with developmental delays (DD), particularly autism spectrum disorders (ASD), are at high risk for increased levels of behavior problems and developing internalizing problems. While previous literature has highlighted the impact of parental stress on the development of behavioral problems broadly in children with DD, research on the relation between parenting stress and internalizing problems in children with ASD is scarce. Growing evidence has supported Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as an effective intervention for reducing stress among parents of children with DD. These reductions in parent stress are also associated with subsequent reductions in their children’s behavior problem; however, to our knowledge, the effects of MBSR and reductions in parent stress on internalizing problems in children with DD have not been examined. Method The current study utilized data from Mindful Awareness for Parenting Stress (MAPS) which consisted of families of 80 preschool children with developmental delays (DD) whose parents reported high levels of stress. Specifically, we investigated whether decreases in parenting stress as a result of engagement in a MBSR intervention would lead to reductions in internalizing behavior problems among children with DD, and whether this relation was moderated by the child’s ASD status. Additionally, we examined whether individual increases in the mindful facets of acting with awareness and nonjudgment, from pre- to post- treatment, would lead to reductions in internalizing problems among children with DD, and whether this relation was moderated by the child’s ASD status. Results Children of parents in the MBSR treatment group had greater reductions in internalizing problems compared to children whose parents were in the waitlist-control group, b= −5.71, p <.05. We also found that children of parents who reported greater increases in acting with awareness post-treatment had a greater reduction in internalizing problems, b= −2.57, p<.05. Additionally, children whose parents had greater increases in nonjudgment post-treatment had a greater reduction in internalizing problems, b= −1.85, p<.05. However, ASD status was not a significant moderator in either analysis, ps >.05. Conclusions These findings have important implications regarding the relation between parenting stress and internalizing problems in children with DD. This treatment offers a novel approach to treating comorbid internalizing problems in children with DD. Parents’ use of MBSR provides a method of early intervention, which may ameliorate the development of internalizing problems over time. The current study helps to inform future parenting interventions by highlighting the importance of addressing specific facets of mindfulness in interventions which may lead to greater reductions in internalizing problems in vulnerable populations such as children with DD Figure 1.

The Impact of Preoperative Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Postoperative Outcomes in Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disease: 3-Month and 12-Month Results of a Pilot Study

We previously reported inpatient and 30-day postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of a controlled, noncrossover pilot study using preoperative mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training for lumbar spine surgery. Our goal here was to assess 3-month and 12-month postoperative PROs of preoperative MBSR in lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disease. Intervention group participants were prospectively enrolled in a preoperative online MBSR course. A comparison standard care only group was one-to-one matched retrospectively by age, sex, surgery type, and prescription opioid use. Three-month and 12-month postoperative PROs for pain, disability, quality of life, and opioid use were compared within and between groups. Regression models were used to assess whether MBSR use predicted outcomes. Twenty-four participants were included in each group. At 3 months, follow-up was 87.5% and 95.8% in the comparison and intervention groups, respectively. In the intervention group, mean Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Physical Function (PROMIS-PF) was significantly higher, whereas mean Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI) and Oswestry Disability Index were significantly lower. The change from baseline in mean PROMIS-PF and PROMIS-PI was significantly greater than in the comparison group. At 12 months, follow-up was 58.3% and 83.3% in the comparison and intervention groups, respectively. In the intervention group, mean PROMIS-PI was significantly lower and change in mean PROMIS-PI from baseline was significantly greater. MBSR use was a significant predictor of change in PROMIS-PF at 3 months and in PROMIS-PI at 12 months. No adverse events were reported. Three-month and 12-month results suggest that preoperative MBSR may have pain control benefits in lumbar spine surgery.

The Impact of Preoperative Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Postoperative Patient-Reported Pain, Disability, Quality of Life, and Prescription Opioid Use in Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disease: Three- and Twelve-Month Results

Abstract INTRODUCTION Prescription opioids negatively affect postoperative outcomes after lumbar spine surgery, and according to the CDC, the drug overdose epidemic has been exacerbated by the involvement of prescription medications. Thus, alternatives for pain control are imperative. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been associated with improved activity, mood, walking, and work in opioid-using chronic pain patients. Prospective studies utilizing preoperative MBSR to impact postoperative outcomes in degenerative lumbar spine surgery are lacking. METHODS The intervention group underwent a preoperative online MBSR course. The comparison group was matched retrospectively in a 1:1 ratio by age, sex, type of surgery, and preoperative opioid use. A total of 3- and 12-mo postoperative patient-reported outcomes for pain, disability, quality of life, and prescription opioid use were compared. Univariate linear regression was used to assess if MBSR use was a significant predictor of outcomes. RESULTS At 3 mo, follow-up was 87.5% and 95.8% in the comparison and treatment groups, respectively. Mean ODI was significantly lower (P = .032), mean PROMIS-PF was significantly higher (P = .002), and mean PROMIS-PI was significantly lower (P = .025) in the treatment group. Also, change in mean PROMIS-PF and change in mean PROMIS-PI were significantly greater (P = .002, P = .038). MBSR use was a significant predictor of change in PROMIS-PF (P = .003). At 12 mo, follow-up was 58.3% and 83.3% in the comparison and treatment groups, respectively. Mean PROMIS-PI was significantly lower (P = .011) and change in mean PROMIS-PI was significantly greater (P = .003) in the treatment group. MBSR use was a significant predictor of change in PROMIS-PI (P = .004). CONCLUSION At 3 mo, the treatment group experienced significantly lower disability, higher physical function, and lower pain interference. At 12 mo, only lower pain interference persisted. Further clinical trials are needed to assess the effectiveness of preoperative MBSR on postoperative outcomes in lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disease.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction for psychological distress among nurses: A systematic review.

To explore the studies that used interventions based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for decreasing psychological distress among nurses. Because of the demanding nature of their work, nurses often have significantly high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. MBSR has been reported to be an effective intervention to decrease psychological distress. Systematic review. The databases included were Science Direct, PubMed, EBSCO host, Springer Link and Web of Science from 2002 to 2018. Interventional studies published in English that used MBSR among nurses to reduce their psychological distress were retrieved for review. The PRISMA guideline was used in this systematic review. The included studies were assessed for quality using "The Quality Assessment Tool For Quantitative Studies (QATFQS)." Nine studies were found to be eligible and included in this review. Many benefits, including reduced stress, anxiety, depression, burnout and better job satisfaction, were reported in these studies. The adapted/brief versions of MBSR seem promising for reducing psychological distress in nurses. Future research should include randomised controlled trials with a larger sample size and follow-up studies. There should also be a focus on creative and effective ways of delivering MBSR to nurses. The results of this review are substantial for supporting the use of MBSR for nurses' psychological well-being.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Versus a Health Enhancement Program in the Treatment of Urge Urinary Incontinence in Older Adult Women: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study.

Older adult women with high incidence of UUI. MBSR treatment conditions or HEP comparison conditions. Research and intervention feasibility determinants. The use of MBSR and HEP as the active comparison to treat UUI in older adult women proved feasible in this trial. [ Research in Gerontological Nursing, 12(6), 285-297.].

“Check Yourself”: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Teachers of Students With Challenging Behaviors

In this article, we open with a discussion of stress and its potential impact on the teaching profession. We then follow with an empirical rationale for and steps in the implementation of potentially promising mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) interventions for teachers, particularly teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Body scan, calm breathing, focused attention, and relaxation are highlighted. A list of resources for further use of MBSR is included.

The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on depression, anxiety, and stress in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been widely used to improve various physical and mental conditions. Studies show the intervention is particularly effective in alleviating depression, anxiety, and stress in working-aged adults. No recent systematic review has focused on the use of MBSR in older adults. This study aims to examine the effects of MBSR intervention on depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms of older adults. Five electronic databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1990 and 2017. Six eligible studies were included and computed for meta-analysis. The methodological quality and risk of biases across the included RCTs were assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Overall, the amount of evidence is limited and of relatively low quality. The results of this review provide evidence that the MBSR is more effective than wait-list-control group to reduce depression in older adults with clinically significant symptoms immediately following the intervention. However, there is no clear evidence that the intervention reduced the perception of stress and anxiety, or that positive effects are maintained over the longer term. More robust studies involving larger sample sizes and using longer follow-up measurements are required.

The Impact of Preoperative Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Postoperative Patient-Reported Pain, Disability, Quality of Life, and Prescription Opioid Use in Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disease: A Pilot Study

Prescription opioid medications negatively affect postoperative outcomes after lumbar spine surgery. Furthermore, opioid-related overdose death rates in the United States increased by 200% between 2000 and 2014. Thus, alternatives are imperative. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a mind-body therapy, has been associated with improved activity and mood in opioid-using patients with chronic pain. This study assessed whether preoperative MBSR is an effective adjunct to standard postoperative care in adult patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disease. The intervention group underwent a preoperative online MBSR course. The comparison group was matched retrospectively in a 1:1 ratio by age, sex, type of surgery, and preoperative opioid use. Prescription opioid use during hospital admission and at 30 days postoperatively were compared with preoperative use. Thirty-day postoperative patient-reported outcomes for pain, disability, and quality of life were compared with preoperative patient-reported outcomes. Dose-response effect of mindfulness courses was assessed using Mindful Attention Awareness Scale scores. In this pilot study, 24 participants were included in each group. Most intervention patients (70.83%) completed 1 session, and the mean Mindful Attention Awareness Scale score was 4.28 ± 0.71 during hospital admission. At 30 days, mean visual analog scale back pain score was lower in the intervention group (P= 0.004) but other patient-reported outcomes did not differ. During hospital admission, no significant dose-response effect of mindfulness techniques was found. At 30 days postoperatively, MBSR use was associated with less back pain. Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of preoperative MBSR on postoperative outcomes in lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disease.

A Large Randomized Trial: Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Breast Cancer (BC) Survivors on Salivary Cortisol and IL-6.

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) often experience psychological and physiological symptoms after cancer treatment. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a complementary and alternative therapy, has reduced subjective measures of stress, anxiety, and fatigue among BCS. Little is known, however, about how MBSR affects objective markers of stress, specifically the stress hormone cortisol and the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). In the present study, BCS ( N = 322) were randomly assigned to a 6-week MBSR program for BC or usual-care control. Measurements of cortisol, IL-6, symptoms, and quality of life were obtained at orientation and 6 weeks. Cortisol and IL-6 were also measured prior to and after the MBSR(BC) class Weeks 1 and 6. The mean age of participants was 56.6 years and 69.4% were White non-Hispanic. Most had Stage I (33.8%) or II (35.7%) BC, and 35.7% had received chemotherapy and radiation. Cortisol levels were reduced immediately following MBSR(BC) class compared to before the class Weeks 1 and 6 (Wilcoxon-signed rank test; p < .01, d = .52-.56). IL-6 was significantly reduced from pre- to postclass at Week 6 (Wilcoxon-signed rank test; p < .01, d = .21). No differences were observed between the MBSR(BC) and control groups from baseline to Week 6 using linear mixed models. Significant relationships with small effect sizes were observed between IL-6 and both symptoms and quality of life in both groups. Results support the use of MBSR(BC) to reduce salivary cortisol and IL-6 levels in the short term in BCS.

Mindfulness in Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Biofeedback is recommended as the first line of treatment for patients with stress or urge urinary incontinence (Fantl et al., 1996). Research supports the use of biofeedback for bowel dysfunction (Bartlett, Sloots, Nowak, &amp; Ho, 2011). There is mounting evidence for the use of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for the use of bladder and bowel dysfunction and pelvic pain (Fox, Flynn, &amp; Allen, 2011; Paiva &amp; Carneiro, 2013). The following case reports demonstrate the utility of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in helping patients who suffer from bowel, bladder, and pelvic pain syndromes. Mindfulness training can be used to bring attention to how emotions and food choices have a direct impact on the gastrointestinal tract. Present moment awareness of the urinary tract functioning also improves bladder function. Noticing tension in the pelvic floor muscles helps to improve pelvic pain symptoms (Anderson, Wise, Sawyer, Glove, &amp; Orenberg, 2011; Fox et al., 2011; Paiva &amp; Carneiro, 2011).

Application of mindfulness-based stress reduction to a stress management intervention in a study of a mining sector company

Purpose. The aim of this article was to check whether mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an effective intervention in reducing work-related stress in the case of workers in a copper mine. Methods. Sixty six employees were randomized to the experimental group (32 participants) or to the control group (34 participants). Work-related stress was measured using the job content questionnaire (JCQ) and mental health was measured using the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) Experimental manipulation was 40-h MBSR training. Results. Multivariate repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a significant increase of JCQ decision latitude (F = 17.36, p < 0.001) and social support (supervisor F = 9.00, p < 0.004; coworker F = 5.61, p < 0.020), and a significant decrease in GHQ-28 anxiety (F = 5.28, p < 0.079) and depression (F = 3.95, p < 0.048) due to the intervention. Conclusions. The study confirms that MBSR can be effective in reducing stress resulting from the external risk (and/or imagined fear) of losing one’s health or life. The use of MBSR could be recommended in health and safety activities in difficult and dangerous work conditions, such as mining, to promote workers’ well-being.

A dyadic Mbsr intervention for Parkinson’s disease patients/caregivers: Effects on distress, cortisol, and inflammation

As Parkinson’s disease (PD) progresses, stressors increase among PD patients and their caregivers, often impacting psychological and physical health. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs have been widely disseminated among clinical and healthy populations, demonstrating improvements in psychological and physical well-being. The present RCT examined pre-to-post changes in psychological and physiological outcomes of PD patients and their caregivers in an MBSR intervention compared to patients and caregivers in wait-list control. Repeated-measures ANOVA analyses comparing PD patients across conditions revealed an unexpected increase in psychological distress for PD patients in MBSR (p = 0.032), driven by a significant increase in intrusive thoughts (p = 0.015). However, as hypothesized, PD patients in MBSR demonstrated a significant decrease in nighttime cortisol (p = 0.021) and a significant decrease in IL-1β (p = 0.004), suggesting improvement in HPA functioning and inflammation stress markers, respectively. Repeated-measures ANOVA analyses comparing caregivers across conditions also revealed a significant decrease in diurnal cortisol slope (p = 0.044) for MBSR caregivers. Findings suggest that the effects of MBSR may increase psychological distress in the form of increased awareness of thoughts. However, MBSR appears to improve patients’ response to stress at the biological level – impacting both HPA functioning and inflammatory response. The effects of MBSR also demonstrated physiological benefit for PD caregivers in regard to their own internal stress response, suggesting clinical implications for the use of MBSR within the family system experiencing illness.

Mindfulness en el síndrome de intestino irritable

The Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional digestive disorder recognised as a&#x0D; Biopsychosocial model, because psychological, social and biological factors influence the&#x0D; development of its symptomatology. A high psychiatric comorbidity is frequently observed&#x0D; in patients with IBS associated to an increase in the severity of symptoms and a low-grade&#x0D; of inflammatory response. Although its pathophysiological mechanism has not been fully&#x0D; understood, an imbalance in bidirectional communication is described in the gut-brain axis that&#x0D; affects psychoneuroimmune status of IBS patients. Diverse psychotherapeutic interventions&#x0D; have been shown to be effective in reducing the psychosocial impact in IBS patients, as well&#x0D; as in reducing their intestinal symptoms. However, at the clinical practice, it is not routinely&#x0D; applied because of its high cost. The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an&#x0D; alternative program that shown to be effective in reducing the clinical severity and improving&#x0D; the quality of life of patients with IBS. Although MBSR has demonstrated to reduce the levels&#x0D; of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, in healthy subjects and cancer’s patients, its&#x0D; effect on the immune response in IBS patients remains unknown. This review discusses the&#x0D; pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between psychosocial disturbances,&#x0D; clinical symptomatology and low-grade inflammation in IBS. Based on that, we present the&#x0D; arguments that allow proposing the use of MBSR for the IBS treatment.

Personality Predicts Utilization of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction During and Post-Intervention in a Community Sample of Older Adults.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a promising intervention for older adults seeking to improve quality of life. More research is needed, however, to determine who is most willing to use the four techniques taught in the program (yoga, sitting meditation, informal meditation, and body scanning). This study evaluated the relationship between the Big Five personality dimensions (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) and use of MBSR techniques both during the intervention and at a 6-month follow-up. The hypothesis was that those with higher levels of openness and agreeableness would be more likely to use the techniques. Participants were a community sample of 100 older adults who received an 8-week manualized MBSR intervention. Personality was assessed at baseline by using the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Use of MBSR techniques was assessed through weekly practice logs during the intervention and a 6-month follow-up survey. Regression analyses were used to examine the association between each personality dimension and each indicator of MBSR use both during and after the intervention. As hypothesized, openness and agreeableness predicted greater use of MBSR both during and after the intervention, while controlling for demographic differences in age, educational level, and sex. Openness was related to use of a variety of MBSR techniques during and after the intervention, while agreeableness was related to use of meditation techniques during the intervention. Mediation analysis suggested that personality explained postintervention MBSR use, both directly and by fostering initial uptake of MBSR during treatment. Personality dimensions accounted for individual differences in the use of MBSR techniques during and 6 months after the intervention. Future studies should consider how mental health practitioners would use these findings to target and tailor MBSR interventions to appeal to broader segments of the population.