Psychotherapy Research
March 1, 2003
D. Morgan
1,203 citations
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a new approach designed to prevent relapse in people with recurrent depression. The therapy combines cognitive behavioral techniques with mindfulness practices to help individuals become more aware of negative thought patterns and respond to them differently. The approach aims to reduce the risk of depressive relapse by teaching patients to disengage from automatic, habitual negative thinking that can trigger a return of depression. The text presents MBCT as a promising intervention for preventing relapse, based on its theoretical integration of cognitive science and mindfulness.
Psychotherapy Research
October 9, 2012
A. C. del Re, Christoph Flückiger, Simon B. Goldberg et al.
117 citations
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a group intervention that reduces psychological symptoms, but which specific aspects of the practice drive those improvements is unclear. A new measure of mindfulness practice quality (PQ-M) was validated using exploratory factor analysis with 99 participants, showing a two-factor structure. In a smaller subsample of 19 participants, changes in practice quality over the course of MBSR were linked to reductions in psychological symptoms. Although exploratory, the findings suggest that the quality of mindfulness practice, not just its quantity, may be a relevant factor for improving outcomes and could help instructors tailor interventions.
Psychotherapy Research
June 2, 2021
Simon B. Goldberg, Sin U Lam, Willoughby B. Britton et al.
110 citations
Meditation-related adverse effects (MRAE) are common, even among people with modest meditation experience. In a population-based survey, 32.3% of participants reported MRAE on a general item, and 50.0% reported at least one specific adverse effect. Anxiety, traumatic re-experiencing, and emotional sensitivity were the most common. Functional impairment occurred in 10.6% of participants, lasting at least one month for 1.2%. Childhood adversity was associated with higher risk for MRAE. Despite these effects, participants who reported MRAE were equally glad to have practiced meditation as those who did not. The findings suggest that transparency about possible risks and trauma-sensitive approaches are warranted.
Psychotherapy Research
May 8, 2023
Simon B. Goldberg, Christopher Anders, Shannon L. Stuart-Maver et al.
28 citations
Meditation, mindfulness, and acceptance (MMA) methods are popular in psychotherapy, but their impact when integrated into individual therapy sessions is unclear. A systematic review of 4,671 references found only three studies meeting inclusion criteria. In the one experimental study (162 participants), adding mindfulness meditation did not improve outcomes beyond other active treatments like progressive muscle relaxation or treatment-as-usual (effect sizes ranged from 0.00 to 0.12 for general clinical symptoms). Two small qualitative studies (5 therapist-patient dyads; 9 adults) suggested patients may find MMA methods helpful. The authors call for future research on optimal dosage, timing, patient characteristics, cultural adaptations, and measurement of MMA constructs in individual therapy.