Journal of mood and anxiety disorders

Perceptions of psychedelic-assisted therapy among Black Americans.

Journal of mood and anxiety disorders December 1, 2023 Sierra Carter, Grace Packard, Callan Coghlan et al. 18 citations

Black Americans reported more positive views of psychedelic-assisted therapy than White Americans after receiving brief psychoeducation about MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapy. Among 294 adults (44% Black/African American or Mixed Race with Black ancestry, 56% White American; average age 36.3 years), psychoeducation increased interest and positivity across both groups. Greater depression and PTSD symptom severity was linked to higher baseline interest in both groups, and Black participants with more severe depression showed even greater interest and more positive views. The findings suggest that research groups, not potential participants, are responsible for diversifying clinical trial samples and that rebuilding trust and providing culturally attuned interventions is needed.

DOI: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2023.100023 Full text PTSD Psychedelic therapy Black americans Perceived barriers

Feasibility and acceptability of a virtual mindfulness intervention for Black adults with PTSD and depression: Randomized controlled trial.

Journal of mood and anxiety disorders March 1, 2024 Abigail Powers, Emma C Lathan, Elizabeth Mcafee et al. 7 citations

An adapted 8-week virtual mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) group intervention for Black adults with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms showed fair feasibility (70% overall) but low completion in the MBCT group (54%) compared to a waitlist control (90%). Among the 46 participants (89.3% women) recruited from an urban safety net hospital, acceptability was high for those who completed the program. Perceived barriers to psychological treatment were high (over 9). The intervention improved coping skills and led to positive health changes, but success depends on reducing engagement obstacles; further studies are needed.

DOI: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2024.100048 Full text Depression Mindfulness Posttraumatic stress Virtual intervention

Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI.

Journal of mood and anxiety disorders March 1, 2025 Diane Joss, Michael Datko, Charisma I Washington et al. 5 citations

Self-judgment, a symptom common to many psychological disorders, often follows childhood maltreatment and can make standard treatments less effective. In a pilot study of 24 adults with anxiety or depressive disorders (83% had multiple diagnoses), an eight-week mindful self-compassion program significantly reduced self-judgment and increased self-compassion. Participants who reported more childhood trauma improved more than those with less trauma. Brain scans showed that reduced self-judgment was linked to stronger connections between the posterior cingulate cortex and frontal regions involved in regulation and language, and weaker connections with the amygdala-hippocampal complex, suggesting the training lessens fear-related influences on self-referential thinking while boosting executive control.

DOI: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2024.100096 Full text Mindfulness Neural plasticity Childhood trauma Compassion +2

Changes in mindfulness facets across yoga, CBT and stress education in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.

Journal of mood and anxiety disorders June 1, 2024 Danielle Moskow Diamond, David Rosenfield, Nikki Kaiser et al. 5 citations

In generalized anxiety disorder, different treatments improve distinct aspects of mindfulness. A clinical trial randomly assigned 226 individuals with GAD to 12 weeks of Kundalini Yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy, or stress education. The Non-judge, Act with Awareness, and Non-react facets of mindfulness increased significantly during treatment, while the Observe and Describe facets did not. Improvement in Acting with Awareness was significantly greater for Kundalini Yoga than for cognitive behavioral therapy. These findings suggest that behavioral treatments can influence specific mindfulness components differently.

DOI: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2024.100058 Full text Anxiety Mindfulness Stress Therapy +2

The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on PTSD and depression symptoms in trauma-exposed black adults: Pilot randomized controlled trial results.

Journal of mood and anxiety disorders December 1, 2024 Malin Au, Rebecca Lipschutz, Yara Mekawi et al. 4 citations

Black adults in low-income urban settings experience high rates of trauma, PTSD, and depression but face treatment barriers. In a pilot randomized controlled trial, 80 Black adults with repeated trauma exposure and comorbid PTSD and depression were assigned to an adapted 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) or a waitlist control. No significant difference in overall PTSD or depression symptom reduction emerged between groups. However, avoidance symptoms—a specific PTSD cluster—decreased more in the MBCT group. These preliminary results suggest MBCT may help address avoidance in this population, but the study lacked statistical power for definitive conclusions.

DOI: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2024.100092 Full text Major depressive disorder Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Posttraumatic stress disorder

Papers

Perceptions of psychedelic-assisted therapy among Black Americans.

Feasibility and acceptability of a virtual mindfulness intervention for Black adults with PTSD and depression: Randomized controlled trial.

Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI.

Changes in mindfulness facets across yoga, CBT and stress education in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.

The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on PTSD and depression symptoms in trauma-exposed black adults: Pilot randomized controlled trial results.