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A qualitative study of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression
Abstract
Psychotherapeutic interventions containing training in mindfulness meditation have been shown to help participants with a variety of somatic and psychological conditions. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a meditation-based psychotherapeutic intervention designed to help reduce the risk of relapse of recurrent depression. There is encouraging early evidence from multi-centre randomized controlled trials. However, little is known of the process by which MBCT may bring therapeutic benefits. This study set out to explore participants' accounts of MBCT in the mental-health context. Seven participants were interviewed in two phases. Interview data from four participants were obtained in the weeks following MBCT. Grounded theory techniques were used to identify several categories that combine to describe the ways in which mental-health difficulties arose as well as their experiences of MBCT. Three further participants who have continued to practise MBCT were interviewed so as to further validate, elucidate and extend these categories. The theory suggested that the preconceptions and expectations of therapy are important influences on later experiences of MBCT. Important areas of therapeutic change ('coming to terms') were identified, including the development of mindfulness skills, an attitude of acceptance and 'living in the moment'. The development of mindfulness skills was seen to hold a key role in the development of change. Generalization of these skills to everyday life was seen as important, and several ways in which this happened, including the use of breathing spaces, were discussed. The study emphasized the role of continued skills practice for participants' therapeutic gains. In addition, several of the concepts and categories offered support to cognitive accounts of mood disorder and the role of MBCT in reducing relapse.
... Of note are insights about the counterintuitive gesture of welcoming and working with difficult experience, which is central to MBSR and related programmes [7,53]. Qualitative accounts of participants experiences in mindfulness programmes include reports of reluctance to engage with difficult experience [54], and finding it harder to meditate when stressed [55]. RPs in this study applied the WRM to give meaning to such experiences and to articulate the challenge of this important aspect of MBSR, thereby succeeding in staying engaged with it. ...
This article examines the practice of combining explorations of regulated and dysregulated states through the Workable Ranges Model (WRM) with the skills and qualities taught in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). MBSR was designed to help participants to self-regulate stress. Didactic teaching about stress reactivity is part of the curriculum and may contribute to positive outcomes. A practice-based embodied methodology utilised mindful inquiry in research methods. Seven graduates of MBSR courses that included the WRM became conceptual encounter research partners. Following a re-presentation of the WRM, data were gathered through a diagrammatic diary exercise, post-meditation inquiry and a group discussion. Reflexive thematic analysis identified an overarching theme that the WRM was a dynamic map for exploring stability and stress. Two non-hierarchical themes articulated interrelated self-reflective activities associated with using the WRM as a map. Mapping involved charting regulated and dysregulated embodied experience. Meeting was the embodied application to mindfulness practice. Modulating states through intentional orienting to and resourcing mindful self-regulation and self-care grew out of the mapping and meeting practices. The WRM provided a form and set of words to name mind-body states, and to develop and apply insights about them. The WRM was used to shape new meanings about the relationship between mindfulness and regulated and dysregulated experience. This is theorised through its connection with embodied metaphors. The combination of the WRM and mindfulness worked to frame and progress mindful self-regulation. The WRM may be a valuable resource for mindfulness teachers to support self-regulation and mental health.
... ed finding the yamiliarfanr' of thegmup a supportive and learning experience" (p. 203). Therefore, it is possible that teaching mindfulness in a group format is important. Future research could investigate whether the same style of presentation of single techniques but delivered in a group format might have a more significant impact on the results.Mason and Hargreaves (2001) also describe a second factor, that of "coming to term/", which might be important in the current study. The concept of `coming to terms' is described as containing both participants' internalisation of the course, in terms of attitude and skills etc, as well as their personal experiences relating to attendance and practice. What they h ...
p>The literature on mindfulness as a clinical intervention has rapidly expanded in recent years but questions about its use and effectiveness remain unanswered, one of which concerns the active agents of change. The current study aimed to investigate two specific techniques which currently form part of larger mindfulness training packages: mindful breathing and the body scan. 59 university undergraduates were recruited and were tested on a number of measures of stress tolerance, psychological symptoms and affect, as well as attention and mindfulness skills. A range of mixed design ANOVA statistics are calculated but no significant effect of training in either technique is reported. The study suggests that non-specific factors, such as membership of a group, might be important in the success of mindfulness training.</p
... This work explains how promoting spiritual development helps to enhance quality of life and how spiritual experience and convictions can be complementary of or even integrated into professional work with clients. (Cullen, n.d.;Delaney et al., 2006;Mason & Hargreaves, 2001;Brown & Ryan, 2003). ...
This study addresses the potential role of spirituality in promoting mental health and wellbeing and argues for its utility in the helping professions. Spirituality, as a common human orientation, has long been a central notion in recovery movements. In the first part of the paper the author discusses the differences and overlaps between spirituality and its traditional form, religion. In the second part a questionnaire was used to study laypersons’, and professional helpers’ views on spirituality. The convenience sample comprised 137 persons. Professionals could find spirituality an important resource in their practice and included it in their interventions mainly when their clients had introduced the theme first. Most of the laypersons in the sample were concerned with spiritual issues and regularly practiced meditation or prayer. They conceived spirituality to cope with mental or physical illnesses.
... These issues may not be unique to OCD, e.g. Mason and Hargreaves [75] touch on similar 'initial negative experiences' in their study of MBCT for depression while participants with current depression or anxiety thought the MBCT course was too short and similarly struggled with longer practices, particularly the body scan [76]. A meta-synthesis of themes from 15 qualitative studies of group MBIs for a range of mental health problems included sub-themes, i.e. 'biggest challenge', 'mix and match' and 'I focused on having to achieve something', that highlighted similar issues [77]. ...
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which includes Exposure and Response (ERP) is a highly effective, gold standard treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Nonetheless , not all patients with OCD significantly benefit from CBT. This has generated interest in the potential benefits of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs), either integrated with CBT, to enhance engagement with ERP tasks, or delivered as a stand-alone, first-line or therapy to augment CBT. This paper reports on two qualitative studies that involved a thematic analysis of interview data with participants in a 10-week Mindfulness-Based ERP (MB-ERP) course (study 1) and a 9-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy course adapted for OCD (MBCT-OCD) (study 2). Whilst MB-ERP integrated a mindfulness component into a standard ERP protocol, MBCT-OCD adapted the psychoeducational components of the standard MBCT for depression protocol to suit OCD, but without explicit ERP tasks. Three common main themes emerged across MB-ERP and MBCT-OCD: 'satisfac-tion with course features', 'acceptability of key therapeutic tasks 'and 'using mindfulness to respond differently to OCD'. Sub-themes identified under the first two main themes were mostly unique to MB-ERP or MBCT-OCD, with the exception of '(struggles with) developing a mindfulness practice routine' whilst most of the sub-themes under the last main theme were shared across MB-ERP and MBCT-OCD participants. Findings suggested that participants generally perceived both MBIs as acceptable and potentially beneficial treatments for OCD, in line with theorised mechanisms of change.
... These issues may not be unique to OCD, e.g. Mason and Hargreaves [75] touch on similar 'initial negative experiences' in their study of MBCT for depression while participants with current depression or anxiety thought the MBCT course was too short and similarly struggled with longer practices, particularly the body scan [76]. A meta-synthesis of themes from 15 qualitative studies of group MBIs for a range of mental health problems included sub-themes, i.e. 'biggest challenge', 'mix and match' and 'I focused on having to achieve something', that highlighted similar issues [77]. ...
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which includes Exposure and Response (ERP) is a highly effective, gold standard treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Nonetheless, not all patients with OCD significantly benefit from CBT. This has generated interest in the potential benefits of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs), either integrated with CBT, to enhance engagement with ERP tasks, or delivered as a stand-alone, first-line or therapy to augment CBT. This paper reports on two qualitative studies that involved a thematic analysis of interview data with participants in a 10-week Mindfulness-Based ERP (MB-ERP) course (study 1) and a 9-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy course adapted for OCD (MBCT-OCD) (study 2). Whilst MB-ERP integrated a mindfulness component into a standard ERP protocol, MBCT-OCD adapted the psychoeducational components of the standard MBCT for depression protocol to suit OCD, but without explicit ERP tasks. Three common main themes emerged across MB-ERP and MBCT-OCD: ‘satisfaction with course features’, ‘acceptability of key therapeutic tasks ‘and ‘using mindfulness to respond differently to OCD’. Sub-themes identified under the first two main themes were mostly unique to MB-ERP or MBCT-OCD, with the exception of ‘(struggles with) developing a mindfulness practice routine’ whilst most of the sub-themes under the last main theme were shared across MB-ERP and MBCT-OCD participants. Findings suggested that participants generally perceived both MBIs as acceptable and potentially beneficial treatments for OCD, in line with theorised mechanisms of change.
... has positive effects on psychological disorder such as stress, anxiety and depression [40][41][42][43]. In the research, pregnant women stated that as a result of three min. ...
Background
Yoga is recommended as a behavioural self-management strategy for stress. However, the evidence of how it affects women's stress perception is not much studied. Hence the present study was taken to assess the perceived stress score and to explore the experiences of pregnant women of stress management before and after prenatal yoga programme according to Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome Theory.
Methods
This study was made using concurrent triangulation mixed method design. Quantitative part of the study was made pretest-posttest with control group experimental study, qualitative part of the study was made phenomenological method. Quantitative data were gathered from 31 pregnant women in both yoga and control groups. As for qualitative data, 21 and 15 pregnant women were interviewed in the first and second interviews, respectively. Pregnant Woman Description Form was used as a data collection tool; a visual analogue scale was used for measuring stress score; and the interviews were made through Semi-Structured Interview Form. The themes were determined according to the stages of Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome Theory. Thematic approach was used to assess the data.
Results
The difference among the first, second and third visual analogue scale stress perception mean scores of pregnant women in the prenatal yoga programme and control groups was statistically significant. The women mostly used the expressions relaxation, decrease in stress perception and learning to cope with stress to describe stress perception after prenatal yoga programme. All women told that their stress perception decreased, and they learned how to cope with stress in pregnancy.
Discussion
This study demonstrated yoga was acceptable to stressed pregnant women. There was a significant decrease in stress perception of pregnant women. The women had a chance to express the physical and mental effects of yoga on stress management.
In ‘The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness’, the Buddha mentioned “There is this one way for the purification of beings, for overcoming sorrow and lamentation, for extinguishing of stress and suffering, for attaining to higher knowledge, and for the realisation of liberation” (Digha Nikaya 22). This ‘one way’ is the application of mindfulness meditation on body, feelings, mind, and phenomena. Such wisdom words of an enlightened teacher uttered more than 2,500 years ago are timeless truths which modern science has just begun to uncover.
For four decades since Jon Kabat-Zinn founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School to introduce the structured practice of mindfulness, the interest in mindfulness and other forms of meditation has grown exponentially. Meditation is no longer merely a spiritual quest practised at secluded religious centres but a mainstream mind-body therapy for health and wellbeing. Meditation classes are everywhere: hospitals, mental health clinics, nursing homes, the military, correctional centres, sports centres, universities, schools, and even in nurseries. Research has played a pivotal role to usher in this newfound interest in meditation. There is growing evidence supporting the health benefits of meditation in reducing stress, managing pain, enhancing cognition, improving resilience, cultivating positive emotions, and much more. However, cumulative knowledge on the study of meditation from various research disciplines including neuroscience, psychophysiology, cognitive science, mental health and public health represent only the tip of the iceberg. There is still much to discover from these ancient mind and body practices.
This book is a compilation of recent research in the field of meditation. It provides a snapshot of exciting findings and developments such as the launch of a large-scale UK study to operationalise mindfulness in the mental health system, the possibility that Zen meditation can slow down cardiopulmonary ageing, a theoretical framework for describing meditation interventions in health research, the potential for meditation to address health inequality, the use of mindful self-compassion to enhance the wellbeing of adult learners, and the case study of a clinical psychologist and meditation teacher sharing her first-hand experience of living with spondylolisthesis in relative peace through applying mindfulness strategies. The included articles further contribute to our understanding of the role of meditation in health, defined by the World Health Organization as “not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, but a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing”.
It is an honour to be academic editors for this Special Issue and a great pleasure to review many insightful manuscripts first-hand. We wish to thank the publisher for this excellent opportunity to serve the research community. We are also grateful for the hard work and support provided by the editorial office to make this project a success. To all the authors, thank you for your contributions. To the readers, thank you for your interest. A plethora of quality works from the latest meditation research await in the following pages. May you gain many useful insights!
The purpose of this study was to examine the variables that predict the suicide of a material addict. Specifically, we wanted to assess if aggression, stress, support, and refusal to treat the PAI’s therapeutic agent significantly account for a drug addict’s suicide. To this end, records were collected of 235 patients who entered the Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Center at A Hospital, including the PAI Depression (DEP), the Suicide Consciousness (SUI), the Aggression (AGG), the Stress (STR), the Non-support (NON), the Treatment Rejection (RXR) and the Socio-Demographic Variations, and suicide attempts. The effects of the treatment-related spokespersons on suicide were verified after controlling the suicide-related demographic variables, experience in suicide attempts, and depression using the hierarchical multiple regression. The analysis showed that aggression had a significant impact on suicide, and the effects of non-support and denial of treatment were also suggested. To prevent the suicide of a material addict, the therapist discussed the need to address aggression, non-support, and denial of treatment, the method of therapeutic interventions, the limitations and significance of the research, and the suggestions for further research.
Background: Mindfulness-based practice has gained increasing attention in the mental health community over the last four decades, and many studies have explored the evidence of its various benefits among healthcare users and providers alike. However, there remains limited research regarding the understanding of mindfulness among mental healthcare professionals. This poses the question: how much do mental healthcare professionals really know about mindfulness, and can self-practice increase the understanding of these providers?
Aim: This descriptive or exploratory case study aimed to explore the understanding of mindfulness amongst 15 mental healthcare professionals.
Setting: The study took place at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.
Method: The study was conducted following a 6-week training course in which the participants were taught, and carried out mindfulness-based practices and techniques. The study also explored the following: (1) the healthcare workers’ experiences, benefits and challenges regarding the consistent practice of mindfulness and (2) their confidence when explaining the concept of mindfulness, and the practices learned, to other colleagues and patients. Data were collected in the form of semi-structured interviews with the participants, 4–6 weeks after completion of the training course.
Results: Three main themes were identified: (1) understanding of mindfulness expanded with practice; (2) unexpected experiences during the mindfulness course; and (3) experience caused partial gains in confidence and skills. Overall, 15 subthemes were derived from the data collected.
Conclusion: Self-practice of mindfulness can increase one’s understanding of the concept and the confidence to teach informal techniques. More research is needed to determine how the design and duration of such training could impact this understanding and confidence.
Background
The regular practice of mindfulness has been shown to provide benefits for mental well-being and prevent depression relapse. Technology-mediated interventions can facilitate the uptake and sustained practice of mindfulness, yet the evaluation of interactive systems, such as brain-computer interfaces, has been little explored.
Objective
The objective of this paper is to present an interactive mindfulness-based technology to improve mental well-being in people who have experienced depression. The system, Anima, is a brain-computer interface that augments mandala coloring by providing a generative color palette based on the unfolding mindfulness states during the practice. In addition, this paper outlines a multiple-baseline, single-case experimental design methodology to evaluate training effectiveness.
Methods
Adult participants who have experienced depression in the past, have finished treatment within the last year, and can provide informed consent will be able to be recruited. The Anima system, consisting of 2 tablets and a nonintrusive mental activity headband, will be delivered to participants to use during the study. Measures include state and trait mindfulness, depression symptoms, mental well-being, and user experience, and these measures will be taken throughout the baseline, intervention, and monitoring phases. The data collection will take place in the form of a questionnaire before and after each mandala-coloring session and a semistructured interview every 2 weeks. Trial results will be analyzed using structured visual analysis, supplemented with statistical analysis appropriate to single-case methodology.
Results
Study results will offer new insights into the deployment and evaluation of novel interactive brain-computer interfaces for mindfulness training in the context of mental health. Moreover, findings will validate the effectiveness of this training protocol to improve the mental well-being of people who have had depression. Participants will be recruited locally through the National Health Service.
Conclusions
Evidence will assist in the design and evaluation of brain-computer interfaces and mindfulness technologies for mental well-being and the necessary services to support people who have experienced depression.
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)
PRR1-10.2196/20819
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.