There is a growing interest to use mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for occupational health promotion. As most evidence for the beneficial effects comes from convenience samples in the ...social/education/health sector, it is still an open question if MBIs are effective in other contexts, or for whom MBIs are more effective. In addition, self-selection and sample characteristics may have biased previous findings. Theoretically and practically, it is important to know whether MBIs are also effective for nonselective samples outside the social and health sector, especially in agentic and male-oriented cultures. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of a MBI on physiological and psychological criteria in a nonselective sample of police officers. Moreover, this study examines whether effectiveness depends on participants' personality (neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness) and on perceived social norms toward MBIs. Using a pre-post intervention design, N = 267 police officers were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving a 6-week intervention and to a control group. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed a positive effect on heart rate variability and a stronger reduction of psychological strain, health complaints, and negative affect, as well as more improvement of mindfulness and self-care in the intervention group in comparison with the control group. Additionally, participants higher in neuroticism and openness benefitted more, and the effectiveness was stronger for those who perceived a favorable social norm toward MBIs. Our findings provide evidence that participants with male-oriented occupations may also benefit from a MBI. The importance of individual differences and the social context is discussed.
The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006) and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003) are widely used measures of mindfulness and ...self-compassion in mindfulness-based intervention research. The psychometric properties of the FFMQ and the SCS need to be independently replicated in community samples and relevant clinical samples to support their use. Our primary aim was to establish the factor structures of the FFMQ and SCS in individuals with recurrent depression in remission, since Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) was developed as a treatment for preventing depressive relapse. In order to determine the consistency across populations, we examined the factor structures of the FFMQ and SCS in 3 samples: (1) a convenience sample of adults, (2) a sample of adults who practice meditation, and (3) a sample of adults who suffer from recurrent depression and were recruited to take part in a trial of MBCT. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) showed that a 4-factor hierarchical model of the FFMQ best fits the community sample and the clinical sample but that a 5-factor hierarchical model of the FFMQ best fits the meditator sample. CFA did not endorse the SCS 6-factor hierarchical structure in any of the 3 samples. Clinicians and researchers should be aware of the psychometric properties of the FFMQ to measure mindfulness when comparing meditators and nonmeditators. Further research is needed to develop a more psychometrically robust measure of self-compassion.
Background
Recent studies suggest that mindfulness may be an effective component for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment. Mindfulness involves practice in volitional shifting of attention ...from “mind wandering” to present‐moment attention to sensations, and cultivating acceptance. We examined potential neural correlates of mindfulness training using a novel group therapy (mindfulness‐based exposure therapy (MBET)) in combat veterans with PTSD deployed to Afghanistan (OEF) and/or Iraq (OIF).
Methods
Twenty‐three male OEF/OIF combat veterans with PTSD were treated with a mindfulness‐based intervention (N = 14) or an active control group therapy (present‐centered group therapy (PCGT), N = 9). Pre‐post therapy functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI, 3 T) examined resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) in default mode network (DMN) using posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) seeds, and salience network (SN) with anatomical amygdala seeds. PTSD symptoms were assessed at pre‐ and posttherapy with Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS).
Results
Patients treated with MBET had reduced PTSD symptoms (effect size d = 0.92) but effect was not significantly different from PCGT (d = 0.46). Increased DMN rsFC (PCC seed) with dorsolateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) regions and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) regions associated with executive control was seen following MBET. A group × time interaction found MBET showed increased connectivity with DLPFC and dorsal ACC following therapy; PCC–DLPFC connectivity was correlated with improvement in PTSD avoidant and hyperarousal symptoms.
Conclusions
Increased connectivity between DMN and executive control regions following mindfulness training could underlie increased capacity for volitional shifting of attention. The increased PCC–DLPFC rsFC following MBET was related to PTSD symptom improvement, pointing to a potential therapeutic mechanism of mindfulness‐based therapies.
Mindfulness interventions (MIs) emphasize living in the present moment without being judgmental of one's feelings and sensations. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of MIs, including both ...mindfulness-based and mindfulness-informed interventions, in reducing overall obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs) severity and comorbid depression at post-treatment and in the long-term. The potential contribution of methodological variables moderating the effectiveness of MIs was examined. Five databases (Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials) were searched until May 2022. The pooled standardized mean difference was calculated using random effect models. Twenty-six studies with 1,281 participants were included. We found moderate to large reductions in overall OCRDs severity in favor of MIs at post-treatment (SMD ranging between −0.62 and −1.52, 95% CI: −2.02 to −0.22). MIs were associated with small reductions of depression in people with OCD (SMD = −0.30 and −0.52, 95% CI: −0.68 to −0.09) and obsessions (SMD = −0.32, 95% CI: −0.65 to −0.01) at post-treatment but these effects were not sustained at follow-up. Meta-regression analyses showed that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) appeared to be effective in treating OCD and/or depressive symptoms in these patients. Lower income countries contributed larger effect sizes. Our findings provide first evidence of the effectiveness of MIs in reducing OCRDs severity which require further exploration from high quality RCT studies with embedded qualitative research.
Public Health Significance Statement
Exposure-based psychological interventions are the gold standard for treating obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. However, dropout rates remain one of their biggest limitations. This meta-analytic review showed that mindfulness interventions, which can be both acceptable and have low attrition rates, can be effective in treating these disorders.
While the effectiveness of mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) with respect to distress has been widely researched, unemployed individuals, who often suffer from high levels of distress, have ...largely been neglected in MBI research. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a low‐dose MBI on distress in a sample of young unemployed adults. The sample included 239 young unemployed adults enrolled for a 6‐week long employability‐related training camp. Participants were allocated into an intervention group that received weekly 1‐hour mindfulness training over 4 weeks, and a control group. Dispositional mindfulness, distress and well‐being were assessed in the entire sample prior to the start and upon completion of the mindfulness training. A mixed model ANCOVA showed that distress was inversely and significantly predicted by baseline levels of mindfulness and well‐being. After accounting for the baseline levels of mindfulness and well‐being, a significant effect of the mindfulness intervention was evident. This result shows that a low‐dose MBI can decrease distress in a sample of young unemployed adults and its effectiveness is positively associated with initial levels of dispositional mindfulness and well‐being.
This comprehensive integrated literature review provides evidence-based information on mindfulness meditation as a primary care treatment for anxiety. A variety of databases were utilized for article ...collection including MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL Plus with full text, Cochrane library, APA PsycInfo, APA PsycTests, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and PsycARTICLES. Research suggests anxiety can be treated effectively with a minimum of 8 weeks of meditation practice. Meditation is a cost effective and safe treatment modality that can be incorporated into the care of patients struggling with anxiety.
Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the ...empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.
► Mindfulness refers to attending to experience on purpose and non-judgmentally. ► Trait mindfulness and meditation practice correlate with psychological well-being. ► Mindfulness intervention programs reduce psychological symptoms and distress. ► Mindfulness instructions reduce emotional reactivity in laboratory studies. ► Mechanisms of mindfulness' effects need to be a focus of future studies.
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