Bassam Khoury

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at McGill University

Objectives Increasing dispositional mindfulness is the primary goal of all mindfulness-based interventions. However, it is not entirely clear which specific characteristics of meditation practice predict improvements in mindfulness. This is relevant for characterization of the participants as well as for intervention designs. In this study, we expl...

The inherent ambiguity of therapy is a significant source of stress for novice counsellors in training. As such, the development of their ability to tolerate ambiguity is an important task within their clinical development. The authors sought to examine the effects of a novel 6-week mindfulness and compassion program on ambiguity tolerance and well...

Meta-analyses are considered the highest level of evidence in research design, providing a quantitatively estimated effect size for an outcome of interest pooled from some or all primary studies on a particular topic. The usefulness and accuracy of a meta-analysis depend on the rigor of the included studies and the methods adopted by the meta-analy...

Objectives Meditative practice and experience increase sensitivity to bodily sensations and improve emotional well-being, but their influence on emotional body sensations has not been directly examined. Therefore, we aimed to measure bodily representations of emotion and relate them to mindfulness-related traits and skills. Method Using a sample o...

Study Objectives To synthesize findings of original articles examining the association between sleep-wake patterns of typically developing infants aged 0-to-18 months and cognitive and psychomotor development. Methods A systematic search strategy was used to identify articles assessing the association between infant sleep (0-to-18 months) and cogn...

Police officers experience higher levels of mental illness compared to the general population. These traumas are known as operational stress injuries and are the result of operational and organizational stressors. These stressors often result in elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Mindfulness is widely becoming a mainstream method t...

Social media platforms such as Reddit allow users to share information and find support about different topics. The present research investigated the topics, sentiments, and emotions discussed in a subreddit about social anxiety prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was used to discover latent topics from the...

While there is a growing interest in mindfulness as an intrapersonal trait, only a limited number of studies have investigated interpersonal mindfulness, and no study has examined the interaction between both concepts. This paper aims to evaluate a path model that depicts the role of both intrapersonal and interpersonal mindfulness in facilitating...

The purpose of this study was to investigate Iranian women’s experiences of the consequences of self-compassion as an intrapersonal source in marital relationships.The descriptive-interpretive qualitative method was adopted in this study. In the first step, we used the self-compassion scale to select a sample of 15 women (Mean Age = 47.66 years, SD...

Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is associated with suicide risk, as well as a number of psychological disorders. This, coupled with its high prevalence rate, make it imperative that effective treatments for those who engage in NSSI are investigated and made available to the public. Despite this, few interventions specifically targeting N...

Over 75% of pediatric surgery patients experience preoperative anxiety, which can lead to complicated recoveries. Current interventions are less effective for children over 12 years old. New interventions, like mindfulness-based ones (MBIs), are needed to address this issue. MBIs work well for reducing mental health symptoms in youth, but they can...

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a 9-session group-treatment programme for managing stress. Research suggests variability in the outcomes of MBSR among participants. This prognostic (not causal) study develops a multivariable model that may support clinicians in forecasting expected MBSR outcomes. We used data of 763 patients collected...

This commentary aims to offer a nuanced perspective on the interaction between mindfulness and happiness. In pursuit of this goal, it assesses the evidence presented in a recently published systematic review evaluating the effectiveness of mindfulness practices in enhancing happiness. The commentary utilizes a combination of cross-sectional, experi...

Purpose Previous compassion scales measured correlates or consequences of compassion, included mindfulness in their definition and do not fully operationalize the affective, cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal skills involved in cultivating compassion. The proposed Compassion Questionnaires towards Self (CQS) and Others (CQO) aim to operationa...

Background Virtual reality (VR) based meditation has been shown to help increase relaxation and decrease anxiety and depression in younger adults. However, this has not been studied in Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) in the older adult population. The aim of this RCT is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a VR-guided meditation interv...

Clinical trainees are especially prone to psychological distress. Mindfulness has shown to promote well-being among health care professionals, yet the mechanisms through which it reduces psychological distress are still uncertain. Self-determination theory suggests that mindfulness allows individuals to be more open and receptive to information fro...

Purpose The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) group intervention is increasingly being used in clinics to alleviate stress-related symptoms. The aim was to evaluate the association between pre-post changes in levels of perceived stress during the MBSR program and occupational recovery from prolonged work-related stress. Potential moderators...

Previous research has examined the relationships among mindfulness facets (i.e., observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging of inner experience, and non-reactivity to inner experience), self-compassion, and aggression in men. The research examining these relationships in women has been limited. Thus, the present study aims to examine...

Purpose This paper aims to discuss current work and further steps of the psychological hotline launched by the National Psychological Association of Ukraine (NPA), along with a call for action to mental health professionals worldwide. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes the training and support of the NPA’s hotline staff as well as re...

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 14% of the US population practice mindfulness meditation. The effects of mindfulness training on physical and mental health have been consistently documented, but its effects on interpersonal relationships are not yet fully understood or investigated. Interpersonal relationships play...

Des recherches antérieures ont démontré que les aspects interpersonnels du perfectionnisme sont liés à une anxiété sociale accrue. La présente étude a examiné si la pleine conscience était un médiateur de cette relation chez les étudiants. Les participants étaient des étudiants de premier cycle (n = 227) et de deuxième cycle (n = 215) inscrits dans...

Recently developed mindfulness scales have integrated aspects of the body in measuring mindfulness unlike other established scales. However, these scales focused solely on body awareness and did not embrace all aspects of mindfulness and the body. Specifically, they did not integrate embodiment in mindfulness. The proposed Embodied Mindfulness Ques...

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are increasingly used in educational institutions to enhance students' mental health and resilience. However, reviews of the literature suggest this use may have outpaced the evidence base and further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying these programs' effectiveness and which outcomes...

The present study was developed to evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the level of emotional flexibility and ambivalence related to emotional expression of divorced women. A general community sample of 30 divorced women was recruited and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group r...

Existing interpersonal mindfulness measures have either been specific to a certain context (e.g., parenting, conjugal, teaching) or omitted/minimized the role of the body in the interpersonal dynamic. The Interpersonal Mindfulness Questionnaire (IMQ) aims to operationalize interpersonal mindfulness as an embodied set of skills that are applicable t...

Although mindfulness researchers have begun to integrate aspects of body awareness into the development of new scales, these scales do not embrace all aspects of embodiment. The recently developed Embodied Mindfulness Questionnaire (EMQ) aims to fully integrate the body and mind-body connection in conceptualizing and operationalizing mindfulness. B...

We thank Wen-Wang Rao and colleagues for their interest and comments on our research article published in The Lancet Psychiatry. As pointed out by Rao and colleagues, we failed to include the article by Chiang and colleagues in our review. However, the prevalence of suicidal ideation reported for fourth grade children (aged 9–10 years old) aligns p...

The simultaneous occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to adult-hood have posed particular obstacles to university students' mental health. However , it remains unclear whether hope promotes mental health in the relationship between self-compassion, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction. Therefore, this study investigated...

The present study examined the empirical and conceptual association between two definitions of trait mindfulness (socio-cognitive and mindfulness-meditation) and trait, cognitive, and self-presentational components of perfectionism. These associations were investigated in a student sample of emerging adults ( n = 390), who completed measures of tra...

Background: A pressing challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond is to provide accessible and scalable mental health support to isolated older adults in the community. The Telehealth Intervention Program for Older Adults (TIP-OA) is a large-scale, volunteer-based, friendly telephone support program designed to address this unmet need. Meth...

The global population is aging at an unprecedented rate, increasing the necessity for effective interventions targeting the mental health needs of older adults. Technology addressing the aging process of older adults (i.e., gerontechnology) is an avenue for the efficient delivery of programs that enhance adult well-being. Virtual reality (VR) is a...

Objectives Theory and prior research suggest that improving self-esteem is a promising way to improve students’ academic performance and mental health. This study empirically examines the mediating effect of psychological well-being and positive emotion in the relationships between self-compassion, mindfulness, stress, and self-esteem. Methods An...

Nature relatedness refers to the cognitive-affective relationship with natural environments. Mindfulness is described as nonjudgmental attention to the present moment and is a multi-dimensional construct consisting of interacting facets. This study aimed to clarify the mechanisms through which nature relatedness and mindfulness contribute to subjec...

Loneliness is detrimental to both mental and physical health. Previous studies have suggested that mindfulness and self-compassion could alleviate loneliness, but the mechanisms are largely unknown. The current cross-sectional study investigated whether rejection sensitivity played a mediating role in the associations between dispositional mindfuln...

Introduction Childhood maltreatment is associated with pregnancy complications. This study aimed to systematically review and quantitatively synthesize the strength of the associations between maternal histories of childhood maltreatment and the risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and gestational diabetes. Methods Subject Headings and keyw...

Background Suicide in children is a pressing public health concern. The increasing number of deaths by suicide and emergency visits for suicidal ideation and self-harm in children might not be fully representative; it is likely that many more children are in distress but do not seek out help. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of ex...

The simultaneous occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to adulthood have posed particular obstacles to university students’ mental health. However, it remains unclear whether hope promotes mental health in the relationship between self-compassion, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction. Therefore, this study investigated t...

Objectives: Theory and prior research suggest that improving self-esteem is a promising way to improve students’ academic performance and mental health. This study employed a mixed-method approach to empirically examine the mediating effect of psychological well-being and positive emotion on the relationship between self-compassion, mindfulness, st...

Objectives One of the primary goals of Buddhist-inspired mindfulness practice is to enable practitioners to gain insight into the nature of the self and, as a result, increase their wellbeing. To empirically investigate how mindfulness impacts the self, researchers must effectively explicate the self and hone the methods used to study it. The curre...

revious compassion measures have included mindfulness in their conceptualizations and do not fully operationalize the cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal dimensions of compassion. The proposed Compassion Questionnaires towards Self (CQS) and Others (CQO) aim to operationalize the proposed notion of “embodied and embedded compassion” by groundi...

Objectives While extant research indicates an inverse association between self-compassion and mindfulness with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), estimates of magnitude remain unknown. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aim to quantify the relationship between self-compassion and mindfulness wit...

Objectives Previously developed mindfulness measures focused on its intrapersonal dimensions and did not measure the interpersonal aspects of mindfulness. Furthermore, recently developed interpersonal mindfulness measures were either specific to a certain context (e.g., parenting, conjugal, teaching) or omitted/minimized the role of the body in the...

The aim of the present study was to examine the mediation effects of resilience and stress, two perceived opposite constructs, in the relationship between mindfulness and happiness. Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales short version-21 were administered to...

Eating in response or to cope with negative emotions has been shown to be problematic in undergraduate students. Dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion have been associated with less eating in response or to cope with negative emotions; however, specific mechanisms underlying these relationships have never been tested. The aim of the present...

Facing ambiguity is ubiquitous and perhaps more apparent as the world faces economic, health, and social crises. Ambiguity tolerance (AT) reflects one's ability to manage novel, complex, and insoluble situations and has important implications on learning, intrapersonal behaviour, and decision making. While AT can increase passively over time, there...

Summary Background Suicide in children is a pressing public health concern. The increasing number of deaths by suicide and emergency visits for suicidal ideation and self-harm in children might not be fully representative; it is likely that many more children are in distress but do not seek out help. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analys...

Policing is a high-stress occupation, and officers frequently experience high rates of occupational (i.e., operational and organizational) stressors that can result in mental health symptoms such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Trait mindfulness facets and self-compassion have been consistently associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety, a...

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are increasingly used to reduce parental stress and to enhance dyadic interactions between parents and children. Prior reviews examining the effects of MPBs for parents have assessed restricted target populations, limited outcomes measures, and have relied on uncontrolled studies. This systematic and meta-analytic...

Objective The objective of the current study was to investigate whether mindfulness and self-compassion are negatively associated with engagement in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and whether emotion dysregulation would mediate this relation. Method 343 participants (82.2% female; M age = 23.98; SD = 7.47) were recruited from university and commu...

Résumé Cet article se penche sur les différentes conceptualisations et opérationnalisations de la compassion (pour soi et pour les autres), incluant les instruments de mesure et il souligne la nécessité d’élaborer une définition consensuelle de la compassion. À la lumière des appuis théoriques et empiriques actuelles, cet article soutient que la co...

Forensic inpatients (i. e., individuals found not responsible for a criminal offense on account of mental illness) represent an often marginalized and difficult-to-treat population. This has led to the need for research exploring the effectiveness of novel interventions. A Canadian forensic hospital has developed an 8-weeks mindfulness and yoga tra...

Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective in treating several psychological difficulties, to date, no review has systematically examined their effectiveness in treating or preventing suicide. The goals of the present study were to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of MBIs in treating suicide and (2) understand how...

Objective: Undergraduate students show high rates of harmful alcohol consumption, and coping-motivated use has been consistently shown to be the most problematic. The present study examines associations between mindfulness facets, self-compassion, and coping-motivated use, and how these associations differ by gender. Participants and Methods: Unde...

Mindfulness meditation might improve a variety of cognitive processes, but the available evidence remains fragmented. This preregistered meta-analysis (PROSPERO-CRD42018100320) aimed to provide insight into this hypothesis by assessing the effects of brief mindful attention induction on cognition. Articles were retrieved from Pubmed, PsycInfo and W...

Alcohol and marijuana misuse is prevalent on many university campuses, with high rates of undergraduate students reporting experiencing alcohol and/or marijuana-related problems, which have been consistently associated with coping-motivated use. While previous studies have found dispositional mindfulness to be negatively associated with coping moti...

Previous research has established coping-motivated use to be the most problematic form of substance use. While dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion have been associated with lower levels of coping-motivated use in undergraduate students, possible mechanisms underlying these relationships have never been tested. The present two-part study e...

Objectives: the study aims to meta-analytically review studies about the effects of Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) on well-being of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched from June 2018 to September 2018. A systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted. Results: Twenty-one studies...

We need participants!!!

A growing body of research supports the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in incarcerated populations; however, treatment effectiveness remains unclear. This meta-analysis of 22 studies ( N = 2,265, 75% male) quantified the effectiveness of MBIs in incarcerated populations on key psychological outcomes and criminogenic needs. Results fr...

Objectives The aim of this paper is to review current conceptualizations, assessment measures, and operationalizations of compassion towards self and others in order to propose a new theoretically grounded, empirically driven, unified notion of compassion towards self and others. Methods A thorough qualitative review of theoretical and empirical p...

Objectives Alcohol misuse is prevalent on university campuses, and although alcohol consumption is considered a normative part of the undergraduate experience, it can become problematic when used in attempt to change one’s emotional, internal state. The present study examines associations between mindfulness facets, self-compassion, internally moti...

Preliminary results from an on-going study examining the facets of mindfulness and self-compassion in a sample of Canadian law enforcement officers.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are becoming increasingly popular as treatments for physical and psychological problems. Recently, several studies have suggested that MBIs may also be effective in reducing symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most studies have examined the effectiveness in children, but there are now...

Objective: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) experience a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms that can affect quality of patient care. Previous meta-analyses exploring mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for HCPs have been limited by their narrow scope regarding intervention type, target population, and/or measures, and reliance on...

Récemment, le concept de « pleine conscience incarnée » (embodiment) a été proposé comme dénominateur commun aux approches bouddhistes et occidentales de la pleine conscience (Khoury, Dionne & Grégoire, 2018). Cet article vise à approfondir et élargir cette notion de pleine conscience incarnée afin de démontrer que celle-ci implique nécessairement...

The paper entitled “Embodied Mindfulness” proposed embodiment as a shared link between different approaches of mindfulness. This commentary extends the notion of “embodied mindfulness” by exploring interpersonal/social applications of mindfulness in both western mindfulness-meditative and Langerian mindfulness approaches. The commentary explores me...

Résumé Dans cet article, deux visions importantes de la pleine conscience seront présentées. D’une part, la vision de la pleine conscience selon la tradition bouddhiste et d’autre part, les conceptions contemporaines et séculières de Jon Kabat-Zinn et d’Ellen Langer. Ces deux conceptions seront présentées sur les plans théoriques et empiriques. Sur...

Mindfulness interventions have increasingly been incorporated in elementary and high school classrooms to support students’ mental health and well-being; however, there is little research examining the specific factors contributing to the effectiveness of the interventions. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the specific effects of an...

Within the context of Western science, mindfulness has been operationalized as the deliberate, non-judgmental awareness of the present moment (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). Contemporary research applications have extended the examination of mindfulness beyond the scope of intrapersonal outcomes to interpersonal functioning. Mindful parenting is one such appli...

Background: Research on mindfulness training as an adjunctive therapy is still in its infancy; especially with forensic in-patients (those found not criminally responsible due to mental illness). The current study addresses this gap in the mindfulness literature by examining the effects of mindfulness and yoga training on forensic in-patient well-b...

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), is defined as the deliberate destruction of one’s body tissue in the absence of suicidal intent. Although by definition, NSSI does not involve suicidal intent, NSSI prospectively predicts suicide attempts (Klonsky et al., 2003). While both NSSI and suicide are pressing public health concerns, little research examini...

Theoretical approaches in mindfulness and their effective elements.

Mindfulness and Schizophrenia

Background: An increasing number of studies are investigating the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for weight loss and obesity-related eating behaviours. However, the results of past reviews are inconsistent. Objective: To clarify these inconsistencies, we conducted a comprehensive effect-size analysis to evaluate the efficacy...

Mindfulness and its clinical applications

In this paper, we review different definitions and operationalization of mindfulness according to both Buddhist tradition and western conceptualizations, namely mindfulness as defined in modern mindfulness-meditation programs and Langerian mindfulness. Additionally, we compare and contrast these different approaches and propose a common link betwee...

There is a great deal of evidence supporting the use of CBT for psychosis (CBTp). In fact, CBTp is recommended by the National Treatment Guidelines in both the U.K. and the U.S. The availability of CBTp, however, remains an issue due to a variety of factors, including training and resources. A proposed way to tackle this problem is to offer a brief...

https://apha.confex.com/apha/143am/webprogram/Paper316237.html

Background: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is considered one of the most prominent scientific and clinical documents published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). However, many questions were raised concerning the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of multiple DSM-IV established categories. Objec...

This is a reprint of a Cochrane protocol, prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration and published in The Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 6 http://www.thecochranelibrary.com Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for schizophrenia and related disorders (Protocol)

Emerging evidence supports the priority of integrating emotion regulation strategies in cognitive behaviour therapy for early psychosis, which is a period of intense distress. Therefore, we developed a new treatment for emotional regulation combining third-wave strategies, namely compassion, acceptance, and mindfulness (CAM) for individuals with ea...

In this paper we review the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental health (DSM), its scientific bases and utility. The concepts of “normality,” “pathology,” and boundaries between them are critically reviewed. We further use the concepts of mindfulness and mindlessness, and evidence from cognitive and social sciences to investigate the DSM cli...