Marcelo Demarzo

Universidade Federal de São Paulo | UNIFESP · Departamento de Medicina Preventiva

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...

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 which 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 (MBI) are effective to promote physical and men...

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...

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...

Introduction: Population aging is a global phenomenon that has grown rapidly and progressively all over the world. Interventions that promote health must be studied and implemented to make the aging process be with quality of life. Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health conditions that compromise the quality of life on the elderly...

Resumo: Conflitos e desentendimentos em relacionamentos de casal constituem um problema de saúde para uma parte importante da população. Em contrapartida, um relacionamento satisfatório tende a amortecer o impacto dos eventos negativos da vida. Mindfulness (Atenção Plena) significa focar a consciência no momento presente, reconhecendo e aceitando s...

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...

Introdução: A revisão sistemática pode ser definida como o resumo das evidências encontradas na literatura através de uma busca sistematizada nas bases de dados científicas disponíveis. Uma das etapas é a seleção dos artigos, sendo geralmente uma tarefa trabalhosa. A máquina de aprendizado e a inteligência artificial pode ser uma ferramenta importa...

Este artículo reflexiona sobre la evidencia creciente, proveniente de estudios observacionales y experimentales, incluidos ensayos clínicos controlados y aleatorizados, revisiones sistemáticas y metaanálisis, de que la práctica regular de la atención plena puede contribuir a la promoción de la salud de poblaciones sanas o con alguna enfermedad crón...

Objective: to analyze an online course on health promotion based on mindfulness (mindfulness) through the theory of discursive semiotics in one of its most recent developments, the visual or plastic aspect. The objective is to identify how the verbal-visual text of the course produces meanings and how it can help in the design of other courses. Met...

Introduction: The presence of chronic stress, caused by the activities and demands of the medical course, can lead to what is called ‘burnout’, a syndrome characterized by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, dehumanization (or depersonalization) and reduced professional achievement. Considering the increased incidence of burnout syndrome, anxie...

O 1º Simpósio de Saúde Coletiva foi criado com a finalidade de divulgar e debater os trabalhos desenvolvidos pelos pós-graduandos do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva (PPGSC) do Departamento de Medicina Preventiva – Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina. O tema norteador do 1º Simpósio é “Conhecimento científico...

This essay makes a theoretical reflection upon possible conceptual proximities between the contemporary application of Mindfulness in education and the educational proposals of Paulo Freire. The study manages to approximate Freire to Mindfulness through a few concepts such as "openness to the new" and 'critical curiosity', which are related to a ce...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01935.].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01281.].

Objective: the aim of this multiple case study was to to evaluate the applicability of the group protocol of an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy program adapted for the individual clinical care of patients with symptoms of depression. Method: the method used was to study multiple cases, in which 11 cases of patients with a diagnosis of mi...

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) represent positive effects on mental health in diverse populations. However, the detailed associations between MBIs and biomarkers in patients with psychiatric disorders remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of MBIs on biomarkers in psychiatric illness, trying to summarize...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157499.].

Primary healthcare personnel show high levels of burnout. A new model of burnout has been developed to distinguish three subtypes: frenetic, under-challenged and worn-out, which are characterized as overwhelmed, under-stimulated and disengaged at work, respectively. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the long/short B...

Abstract This narrative review examines the literature on complementary and integrative practices (CIPs) and their incorporation into Brazil’s national health system (Sistema Único de Saúde – SUS) in an attempt to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the National Policy on Complementary and Integrative Practices in the S...

Operationalizing the concept of mindfulness has been a challenge for researches. In this article, we present and discuss the procedures for the assessment of the internal structure and validity of the criteria for Mindfulness Assessment (MAP), as well as the results obtained. The collection of factors was done by exploratory factor analysis (EFA),...

Introdução: A presença de estresse crônico, causado pelas atividades e exigências do curso de Medicina, pode levar ao que se chama de burnout, uma síndrome caracterizada por três dimensões: exaustão emocional, desumanização (ou despersonalização) e reduzida realização profissional. Diante do aumento da incidência de síndrome de burnout, sintomas de...

THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PAIN OF NURSING WORKERS: AN EXPERIENCE WITH AN ADAPTED MINDFULNESS PROGRAM (AMP) IN THE HOSPITAL CONTEXT ABSTRACT: This chapter presents the qualitative data from a study on an Adapted Mindfulness Program (AMP). It was based on the reports and interviews of 64 nursing workers in a public university hospital in São Paulo,...

Resumo Este ensaio assume que, de simples diretriz administrativa, a regionalização se tornou hoje o principal conceito de viabilização doutrinária da universalidade equitativa e integral do Sistema Único de Saúde. Na interface de estudos sobre a historicidade dos conceitos com extensas experiências de campo, argumenta-se que o conceito de regional...

Introduction Depressive, anxiety and adjustment disorders are highly prevalent among mental health outpatients. The lack of funding for mental health problems produces inefficient results and a high burden of disease. New cost-effective group interventions aimed at treating these symptoms might be an appropriate solution to reduce the healthcare bu...

No mundo helenístico tardio, onde a contemplação e a meditação eram estudadas e praticadas por cristãos e pagãos igualmente, a palavra-chave para descrever tal atividade era theoria - “visão”. Aqui, na coletânea de entrevistas que compõem este Caderno, parece-me que é outro dos cinco sentidos que predomina. O que é importante para os entrevistados...

Mindfulness (atenção plena) pode significar um estado mental no qual mantemos intencionalmente a consciência (awareness) em nossos pensamentos, sentimentos e sensações corporais (fenômenos internos), como também nos fenômenos externos que estamos em contato, como as relações interpessoais e o ambiente que os circunda. Esse estado mental apenas se d...

RESUMO: Neste capítulo será discutida uma nova proposta para a educação baseada no cuidado ao professor. Programas Baseados em Mindfulness já são aplicados em escolas da Europa e Estados Unidos para a promoção da saúde da comunidade e para a melhora do ambiente escolar. No Brasil, em projeto de pesquisa inédito e inovador, foi construído um Program...

No contexto clínico, comportamentos do terapeuta e a relação que ele estabelece com o cliente não apenas são relevantes, mas podem facilitar ou prejudicar o desenvolvimento do processo terapêutico. Pretendeu-se, a partir de uma revisão narrativa, apresentar algumas contribuições da prática de mindfulness para odesenvolvimento de habilidades terapêu...

There has been increased interest in the relationships between religiosity, meditation practice and well-being, but there is lack of understanding as to how specific religious components and distinct meditation practices could influence different positive and negative psychological adjustment outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the explan...

Objective To assess the quality of the Primary Health Care services provided to children and the feasibility of using the Brazilian version of Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT-Brazil) as a routine quality assessment tool. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in Joanópolis, a small rural town in the State of São Paulo (SP), Brazil. Sev...

Objectives This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of the Breathworks’ Mindfulness for Stress 8‐week course on depressive and psychiatric symptoms, and on positive and negative affects, compared with active control and wait list. Method A total of 84 primary care health professionals enrolled in the study, in quasi‐experimental research desig...

[Thesis for Habilitation - Livre-Docência] Over the past four decades, researchers around the world have been dedicated to studying the role of programs and regular practice of mindfulness for health promotion. Found in various cultural, religious, and philosophical traditions, such as in Buddhism and Stoicism, the mindfulness concept and practice...

Thesis Memorial for Habilitation [Livre-Docência] - Marcelo Marcos Piva Demarzo

Purpose: To validate if mindfulness practices contribute to increase the perception of clarity of the own professional sense of purpose. Originality/value: The research shows synergy of mindfulness practices with metacognitive reflections based on Otto Scharmer’s Theory U attention modes, increasing the perception of authenticity in the statemen...

Resumen El número de investigaciones científicas acerca de mindfulness ha crecido de manera exponencial en los últimos años. Son diversas las metodologías utilizadas y las demostraciones acerca de los beneficios que el entrenamiento de mindfulness puede traer para la salud de los sujetos. Entre los principales componentes demostrados están la autor...

In the last decades, the prevalence of patients with multimorbidity (MM) in Primary Care System (PCS) has increased significantly. Multimorbidity refers to the presence of multiple chronic conditions or diseases in a single person. One of the main consequences is the poor health-related quality of life. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have sh...

Resumo Atenção plena é uma qualidade da consciência que surge ao prestar atenção às experiências percebidas no momento presente. Este artigo objetiva buscar evidências de validade da Medida de Atenção Plena (MAP) pela sua relação com outros construtos. Participaram 553 brasileiros adultos, a maioria universitários e com média de idades de 23,15 ano...

Several models have been proposed to explain the effects of mindfulness training on health and well-being, including several potential mechanisms. The goal of the present study is to empirically test a model of mindfulness mechanisms by comparing samples of meditators and non-meditators. Multi-sample path structural equation models were estimated a...

Este texto descreverá o relato de experiência de atividades empreendidas durante o desenvolvimento do projeto de Extensão “Mindfulness (“Atenção Plena”) e Educação: narrativas de alunos do 4º ano do Ensino Fundamental sobre participação em práticas de Mindfulness”, vinculado ao Programa de Extensão PsicoEducar 2016/2017, da Universidade Federal de...

Background Police officers experience a high degree of chronic stress. Policing ranks among the highest professions in terms of disease and accident rates. Mental health is particularly impacted, evidenced by elevated rates of burnout, anxiety and depression, and poorer quality of life than the general public. Mindfulness training has been shown to...