Marcelo Demarzo

Escola Paulista de Medicina - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) · Preventive Medicine

PURPOSE Positive effects have been reported after mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in diverse clinical and nonclinical populations. Primary care is a key health care setting for addressing common chronic conditions, and an effective MBI designed for this setting could benefit countless people worldwide. Metaanalyses of MBIs have become popula...

Compassion therapy is a third-generation psychotherapy that has been used in association with mindfulness in recent years. Similar to mindfulness protocols, a number of compassion protocols have been developed in the United States and Britain. As these countries have cultural characteristics and health systems that differ greatly from those of Spai...

Objectives Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) have been tested as promising alternatives for managing stress in Primary health care (PHC) providers. The study compared the feasibility and efficacy of an MBP on burnout symptoms in Brazilian PHC providers with a briefer relaxation-based program and with a nonactive control group.MethodsA nonrandomized...

Background: Police officers' high-stress levels and its deleterious consequences are raising awareness to an epidemic of mental health problems and quality of life (QoL) impairment. There is a growing evidence that mindfulness-based interventions are efficacious to promote mental health and well-being among high-stress occupations. Methods: The POL...

To shift human behaviour towards sustainability, a complete comprehension of the approaches that lead to it is required. This study aims to review potential connections between the mindfulness state and trait and changes in human behaviour toward sustainability. Using bibliometric analysis as an innovative approach in this field, combined with an e...

The proceedings compile 30 peer-reviewed abstracts and research articles presented at the X International Meeting on Mindfulness. The event brought together experts and practitioners to discuss advancements, applications, and the impact of mindfulness across various fields, including healthcare, education, workplace well-being, and psychosocial int...

Objective This study aimed to examine the effects of the Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion program on mindfulness, psychological capital, compassion fatigue, and affect in a sample of healthcare workers at a hospital in Colombia. Method Randomized controlled study with pre-test and post-test measures, in which 33 workers participated (Mage = 35.0...

This study aimed to examine the impact of a pilgrimage on the Way of St. James on psychological distress and subjective well-being, and to compare these outcomes with a control group on non-pilgrimage vacations. Additionally, the study explored psychological process variables that may mediate the pilgrimage's beneficial effects. A nonrandomized pre...

Introduction The judiciary sector faces high absenteeism due to mental health issues, yet applying effective therapies like mindfulness and trial-based cognitive therapy (TBCT) remains unexplored. Objectives Develop and apply Mindfulness-Integrated Trial-Based Cognitive Therapy (M-TBCT) in the judiciary to assess its acceptability, feasibility, an...

Introduction: Weight regain after bariatric surgery remains a relevant and worrisome topic, requiring greater understanding and involvement in research into new adjuvant treatments. This study aims to compare the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of the Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion and Attachment-Based Compassion Therapy programs as o...

Mindfulness can improve mental health and clinical conditions including psychosis, and modulate attentional processes including salience, an automatic mechanism to guide attention towards outstanding elements or ideas. Aberrant salience, the exaggerated assignment of salience, is associated with psychotic experiences, but the effects of mindfulness...

Introduction Brazilian Primary Health Care (PHC) is responsible for all-sanitary actions for a community-based population, including health promotion and mental health care. Mindfulness Based Health Promotion (MBHP) is an intervention that can promote self-care and psychosocial support in PHC. Objective To discuss the effects of mindfulness based...

Meditation is practiced in many different cultures and traditions and there is a great variety of meditation techniques. Moreover, people differ in their preferences, motivation and responses to meditation. However, there is a lack of cross-cultural and cross-traditional studies, research into interindividual differences, and theoretical models acc...

Introduction: The Brazilian Primary Health Care (PHC) on Unified Health System (SUS) is responsible for all-sanitary actions for a community-based population, including health promotion and mental health care. Mindfulness Based Health Promotion (MBHP) is an intervention that can promote self-care and psychosocial support in PHC. Objective: to discu...

We used Poisson’s linear regression to examine the association between racial bullying (RB) and the initiation of alcohol and tobacco uses after nine months. Two cluster randomized controlled trials were conducted in 2019 with fifth (girls: 50.0%; 10 years old: 82.0%; White: 36.8%; Black: 58.7%; Others: 4.5%) and seventh graders (girls: 49.5%; 12 y...

The Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion (MBHP) is a unique, structured, and scientifically substantiated program tailored specifically to the cultural and health contexts of Brazil and Latin America. Initially developed by Professor Marcelo Demarzo (MD, PhD) in 2009, a pioneering figure in the field, MBHP stands as the first Brazilian mindfulness pr...

O seminário apresentado por Marcelo Demarzo, PhD, do Mente Aberta – Centro Brasileiro de Mindfulness e Promoção da Saúde, na Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), aborda a importância da promoção da saúde e do autocuidado, com ênfase especial na prática de mindfulness. O documento traz um panorama histórico da promoção da saúde, iniciando co...

This presentation by Marcelo Demarzo, MD, PhD, was held at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney (Australia), and focuses on mindfulness, wellbeing, and self-care. It outlines the facets of mindfulness, including mental state awareness, daily life skills, regular practices, and 8-week training programs for health, education and the work...

Presentation detailing the foundations and current scientific evidence (2024) of the mindfulness training protocol entitled MBHP (Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion), created by Centro Mente Mente - Brazilian Center for Mindfuless and Health Promotion at Escola Paulista de Medicina - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). The presentation was...

Introduction Systematic reviews and metanalyses have shown that mindfulness-based interventions can have positive effects on health, such as reducing anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. However, their effect on sleep-related outcomes is not yet well established. Sleep can be assessed subjectively (questionnaires, sleep logs, self-reporting) and/...

As práticas contemplativas, como a meditação de atenção plena/mindfulness, têm sido cada vez mais integradas na sociedade contemporânea de forma secular e científica, influenciando diversas áreas como a saúde, a educação e as organizações públicas e privadas. Diferentes intervenções baseadas em mindfulness (IBM) surgiram desde o programa Redução do...

Nesse capítulo discutimos os conceitos de estresse, regulação emocional e mindfulness, e discutimos os benefícios da prática regular de mindfulness para a qualidade de vida; indicando também técnicas simples para o dia a dia.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of cognitive stimulation via digital inclusion and the practice of video games on the cognition of the older population. Method: This is a randomized controlled intervention study, nested in a population cohort study. Based on the application of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) test, individuals aged 60 years...

The Eating Disorders In weight-related Therapy (EDIT) Collaboration brings together data from randomised controlled trials of behavioural weight management interventions to identify individual participant risk factors and intervention strategies that contribute to eating disorder risk. We present a protocol for a systematic review and individual pa...

Objectives The Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) and the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) are two relevant self-report measures of state mindfulness. The purpose of this study was to examine the internal structure and to offer evidence of the reliability and validity of the Spanish versions of the TMS and SMS. Methods Data from six distinct non-clinica...

Women are more vulnerable to presenting with major depressive disorder (MDD) as they seem more sensitive to stressful life events (SLE). Few studies describe the effect of SLE on the development of avoidant/passive behavioral patterns (PBP) of MDD. Understanding the relationship between SLE and PBP is essential for the clinical management of MDD. H...

Objetivo: Protocolo de Revisão de escopo que será conduzida de acordo com a metodologia do Joanna Briggs Institute, para mapear e caracterizar evidências disponíveis sobre o uso de intervenções baseadas em mindfulness para manejo da dor em pessoas com diagnóstico de câncer de mama, nas diferentes etapas de tratamento. Método: Serão incluídos estudo...

The purpose of the work is to study the role of mindfulness and self-compassion in the mental preparation of federated chess players. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 123 players using a battery of self-administered online questionnaires. Significant relationships were found between the chess strength of chess players and the overidentifi...

Engaged Living (values clarity and committed action) is a main process of psychological flexibility as defined by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. However, there is scant research focused on its measurement. The Engaged Living Scale (ELS) was in consequence designed. The purpose of this study was to translate the ELS to Spanish and to examine the...

Objective To objective of the present study was to investigate the initial evidence for construct validity of the Brazilian Mindful Eating Scale (MES-B), developed to assess mindfulness in the context of eating behavior. Method A total of 236 overweight or obese Brazilian women, aged between 18 and 59 years, answered the Mindful Eating Scale (MES)...

Interest in mindfulness research has increased exponentially in the last two decades, with one of the factors being the search for scientific evidence and answers in clinical interventions. Thus, we investigated the publication trends for mindfulness in the literature in the last 21 years to deeper explore this emerging research field. An electroni...

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies is calling for submissions to our Collection on Mind-body Interventions: Mindful Movement Practices. Albeit more commonly associated with meditation and relaxation, mindfulness practice exists in many forms, including mindful movements. Movement is a fundamental aspect to human life and has been used as a...

Mindfulness has positive effects on physical and mental health. However, less is known about the antecedents to mindfulness, the mechanisms of mindfulness on health, and the cost and effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on health outcomes. This Research Topic brings research and empirical attention to antecedents to and mechanisms of mi...

Public Database of the study "Effects of mindfulness training on quality of life and well-being in older adults: a randomized trial with active control".

Undergraduate students are usually subjected to a routine with constant pressure, stress, circadian misalignment, and sleep irregularity that impairs their subjective well-being. Recent evidence suggests that circadian preference is also a risk factor for impaired mental health and factors related to subjective well-being. This study aimed to ident...

In recent years, an increase in the popularity of self-compassion-based interventions in the management of eating disorders has been observed. Therefore, this study carried out a systematic review to map methods and types of evidence in the treatment of obesity-related eating behaviors, such as sedentary lifestyle, binge eating, emotional eating, e...

Há uma alta prevalência de sofrimento físico e psicológico entre a população diagnosticada com Esclerose Múltipla. Receber esse diagnóstico pode muitas vezes provocar aumento dos níveis de estresse, depressão, ansiedade e sofrimento. Além disso, muitas pessoas com Esclerose Múltipla relatam que o estresse psicológico pode piorar os sintomas caracte...

Background: A sizeable proportion of Brazilian Primary Care (PC) providers suffer from common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. In an effort to cope with job-related distress, PC workers are likely to implement maladaptive strategies such as experiential avoidance (EA). The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) is a widely u...

The Eating Disorders In weight-related Therapy (EDIT) Collaboration brings together data from randomised controlled trials of behavioural weight management interventions to identify individual participant risk factors and intervention strategies that contribute to eating disorder risk. We present a protocol for a systematic review and individual pa...

Introduction: The mental health of university students has been increasingly affected, mainly by anxiety and stress disorders. Interventions that enable college students to better cope with them are necessary. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) may be beneficial tools in this regard. Methods: The present study is an integrative review that inve...

Objective: To describe a case of subacute thyroiditis (SAT) secondary to COVID-19 in the primary health care (PHC). Case description: A 51-year-old woman was treated in a PHC facility for flu-like symptoms for 5 days and pain in the lower neck. Symptomatic drugs were prescribed, and the patient was tested for COVID-19. On reassessment, the patie...

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy of a 'mindful eating' programme for reducing emotional eating in patients with overweight or obesity. Method: A cluster randomized controlled trial (reg. NCT03927534) was conducted with 76 participants with overweight/obesity who were assigned to 'mindful eating' (7 weeks) + tr...

We are now entering the third decade of the 21st Century, and, especially in the last years, the achievements made by scientists have been exceptional, leading to major advancements in the fast-growing field of Public Health Education and Promotion. Frontiers has organized a series of Research Topics to highlight the latest advancements in science...

Realizado desde 2014 no Brasil e na Espanha, o Congresso Internacional de Mindfulness (International Meeting on Mindfulness) é uma colaboração entre o Centro Mente Aberta (Centro Brasileiro de Mindfulness e Promoção da Saúde - Mente Aberta) da UNIFESP (Universidade Federal de São Paulo) e o Centro WebMindfulness, da Universidade de Zara-goza (Espan...

Population ageing is one of the biggest challenges facing public health today and cognitive dysfunction is an important concern. Cognitive impairment may be associated with high folate concentrations and low vitamin B12 concentrations; the latter is a common problem among elderly people. Therefore, we hypothesize a high circulating folate concentra...

Interoception is a collection of different representations of signals originating within the body. The way of perceiving these signals seems to be related to both emotion regulation and dysregulation, and its dysfunction is implicated across a variety of affective disorders. There is a growing body of research investigating the relationship between...

Background and aims: Evaluate the effects of the use of abbreviated mindfulness and acupuncture in healthy individuals, evaluating the levels of depression, anxiety, and life quality in an outpatient clinic of a Brazilian federal university. Methods: Comparison of two abbreviated interventions (mindfulness- and acupuncture-based) in a non-randomize...

Obesity is a chronic and multifactorial disease, with growing rates in the last 50 years worldwide, reaching pandemic levels. It is a major public health problem and is difficult to treat. Different approaches have been used to improve this scenario, including mindfulness-based interventions to enhance dietary behaviour and nutritional status. We c...

Introduction: College students are exposed to a stressful routine, circadian misalignment, sleep irregularity and restriction, what is harmful to their health. Mindfulness training promotes well-being, reduces stress, and can improve sleep quality. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of the Mindfulness-Based Health P...

Este artigo tem como objetivo discutir os principais pressupostos da medicina narrativa, sua articulação com a compaixão e aplicabilidade para análise de um conto literário. O artigo está dividido em quatro partes. Uma breve introdução, que situa o leitor a partir do referencial teórico da medicina narrativa e sua contraposição ao modelo biomédico...

Background: Obesity and overweight are public health problems of multifactorial etiology, aggravated by the challenge that is maintaining weight loss. Used in the context of general health, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have also showed positive effects when targeting changes to overweight-related eating behaviors. Methods: This study cons...

Objective: To examine the effect of a mindfulness-based program specifically designed for teachers in reducing perceived stress and improving the quality of experienced emotion in female active working teachers. A second outcome evaluated is the associated change in cellular inflammatory activity, measured by peripheral blood levels of cytokines....

Background: Research suggests the use of different forms of therapy as a way of decreasing dropout rates in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The psychotherapies to be assessed in this study are trial-based cognitive therapy (TBCT), mindfulness-based health promotion (MBHP) and positive psychotherapy (PPT). Objectives: (1)...

Objetivo: Analisar ensaios clínicos randomizados que avaliaram os efeitos de intervenções baseadas em mindfulness oferecidas pela internet, como tratamento complementar para pacientes com diferentes tipos de câncer. Método: Foram construídas estratégias de buscas específicas para cada base de dados, com descritores controlados e não controlados, op...

Background: Worldwide, approximately 95% of obese people who follow diets for weight loss fail to maintain their weight loss in the long term. To fill this gap, mindfulness-based interventions, with a focus on mindful eating, are promising therapies to address this challenging public health issue. Aim: To verify the effects of the Mindfulness-Based...

Among mindfulness measures the three constructs acceptance, decentering, and non-attachment are psychometrically closely related, despite their apparent semantic differences. These three facets present robust psychometric features and can be considered core themes in most “third wave” clinical models. The aim of the present study was to explore the...

Background: Despite the crucial role of educators in encourage students' academic learning, addressing educator stress inside the classroom remains a significant challenge in the educational context. Mindfulness Meditation training (MM) has been recommended as an environmental enrichment strategy in schools to help teachers cope with stress and cu...

Purpose This study aimed to develop and evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficiency of a methodology to measure the mindfulness state using a wearable device (“Cap”) capable of monitoring students’ levels of full attention by means of real-time measured heart rate variability (HRV).Methods The device was developed to export the data to the...

Background: Portuguese-speaking immigrants are a growing underserved population in the Unites States who experience high levels of psychological distress and increased vulnerability to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Current evidence shows that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are effective to promote physical and ment...

Background: A systematic review can be defined as a summary of the evidence found in the literature via a systematic search in the available scientific databases. One of the steps involved is article selection, which is typically a laborious task. Machine learning and artificial intelligence can be important tools in automating this step, thus aidi...

Congress presentation Results from the Ultreya study -final sample- : The effects of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (The Way of Saint James) on mental health and wellbeing

Stressful events have important consequences for mental health, among the most frequent are posttraumatic and depressive symptoms. Brief mindfulness-based interventions are currently of great research interest as preventive interventions. In this sense, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-sessions mindfulness...

Background Hypnotics are one of the most frequently prescribed drugs worldwide, especially for women, and their chronic use may lead to tolerance, dosage escalation, dependence, withdrawal syndrome, and cognitive impairments, representing a significant public health problem. Consistent evidence from previous studies shows benefits of mindfulness-ba...

Objectives. There is burgeoning interest in studying the effectiveness of mindfulness-based and traditional contemplative practices, and brief yet suitably and comprehensive measures of mindfulness are needed to assess related changes. There is preliminary evidence that pilgrimage may share some aspects with contemplative practices. This study exam...

Purpose: This proof-of-concept study aimed to develop and evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficiency of a methodology to measure the mindfulness state using a wearable device (“Cap”) capable of monitoring students’ levels of full attention by means of real-time measured heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: The device was developed to exp...

In the clinical and therapeutic process, health professionals’ attitudes, behaviors, and relational skills are essential, and their development may facilitate therapeutic alliance and clinical outcomes. From a narrative review, the present chapter aims to present contributions of the mindfulness practice for the development of relational therapeuti...

Background: There is a growing interest in mindfulness-and acceptance-based interventions in sport, with empirical results that support improvements in athletes' performance and well-being. Chess is a sport in which the demand is maximum and where mental preparation can have an important impact on the results. The objective of this work is to ident...

Cuidadores familiares são uma população vulnerável, com níveis elevados de estresse crônico e baixa qualidade de vida. Com base em estudos anteriores relacionando a prática regular de mindfulness (atenção plena) a benefícios para a promoção da saúde, os autores deste artigo ofereceram um programa de treinamento em atenção plena para cuidadoras de p...

UNSTRUCTURED Background: A systematic review can be defined as a summary of the evidence found in the literature via a systematic search in the available scientific databases. One of the steps involved is article selection, which is typically a laborious task. Machine learning and artificial intelligence can be important tools in automating this st...

Interest of the study: mindfulness is a concept describing the focus on the present moment, intentionally and without judgement. This approach has only recently been applied to sport psychology. Objectives: the aim of the current review is to investigate which indicators and questionnaires are used in mindfulness research in sport, being specifical...