Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
October 22, 2018
Darren Dunning, Kirsty Griffiths, Willem Kuyken et al.
596 citations
A meta-analysis of 33 randomized controlled trials involving 3,666 children and adolescents found that mindfulness-based interventions produce small but significant improvements in mindfulness, executive functioning, attention, depression, anxiety/stress, and negative behaviors compared to control conditions. However, when only the 17 trials with active control groups (1,762 participants) were analyzed, significant benefits were limited to mindfulness, depression, and anxiety/stress, with effect sizes (Cohen's d) of 0.42, 0.47, and 0.18 respectively. The authors conclude that mindfulness interventions can improve youth mental health but note that larger definitive trials are needed to confirm these effects and understand how they work.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
May 10, 2017
Christine E. Parsons, Catherine Crane, Liam J. Parsons et al.
553 citations
Participants in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) complete about 64% of their assigned home mindfulness practice, which amounts to roughly 30 minutes per day, six days per week over eight weeks. Across 43 studies involving 1,427 participants, this estimate varied widely. In 28 studies with 898 participants, there was a small but significant positive association between the amount of self-reported home practice and better intervention outcomes. The findings suggest that while participants do not fully complete assigned practice, the practice they do complete is linked to benefits.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
December 9, 2005
J. Mark G. Williams, Danielle S. Duggan, Catherine Crane et al.
235 citations
Once suicidal thoughts emerge in depression, they tend to return whenever sad mood reappears, part of a suicidal mode of mind. This article reviews how mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may prevent reactivation of that suicidal mode. MBCT combines mindfulness meditation with cognitive therapy, training participants to observe moment-by-moment experience with nonjudgmental acceptance. This helps people see thoughts as mental events rather than facts, a skill called metacognitive awareness. A case example illustrates how mindfulness skills develop and relate to cognitive processes fueling suicidal crises. Pilot work suggests MBCT is a promising intervention for those with past suicidal ideation; an ongoing controlled trial will provide further evidence.
Mindfulness
March 1, 2010
Thorsten Barnhofer, Tobias Chittka, Helen Nightingale et al.
99 citations
Both mindfulness breathing meditation and loving-kindness meditation shift brain activity toward greater left prefrontal activation, which is linked to approach motivation and positive emotion, in people with a history of depression. A 15-minute session of either meditation produced this change, and the effect depended on each person's tendency to brood. Those who ruminate a lot responded better to breathing meditation, while those low in brooding responded better to loving-kindness meditation. A comparison with a rest group showed the changes were not just due to time passing. The findings suggest both types of meditation can benefit previously depressed individuals, but the best choice may depend on the person's brooding tendency.