Learning to be mindful ─ experiences of mindfulness-based stress reduction for young adults with moderate to severe mental disorders.

Young adults with moderate to severe mental disorders who took a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program reported lasting improvements in coping with emotional stress. Interviews with eleven participants, conducted about three months or two years after the program, revealed a learning process: they learned to pay attention to their bodies, regulate emotions, and change their attitudes toward themselves. Many still used the skills two years later. The findings suggest MBSR can provide long-term health-promotion benefits and support its use in psychiatric and primary care, though tailoring the program to individual needs may enhance its effectiveness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mental disorders among young adults are a major health challenge. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has in previous research shown positive effects on mental health. However, research evaluating MBSR for young adults with mental disorders is insufficient and qualitative research exploring experiences of the programme is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of MBSR as a supplementary treatment in psychiatric outpatient care among young adults with moderate to severe mental disorders, from a short- and long-term perspective. Eleven young adults (aged 18-27 years) who had participated in an MBSR programme were interviewed approximately three months or two years later. The analytic method was Grounded Theory. The analysis resulted in a theoretical model including one core category and five categories. The model illustrated a learning process, explaining the participants' short- and long-term experiences of learning to pay attention to the body, regulate emotions, a change of attitude towards oneself, and still using skills two years after the programme. The MBSR programme was experienced as a learning process which improved the longstanding ability to cope with emotional stress in daily life. Tailoring MBSR to individual needs may further enhance its effectiveness. The experienced short- and long-term health-promotion benefits of an MBSR programme among young adults with mental disorders support its implementation in psychiatric and primary health care. Future research should investigate how to optimise implementation and tailor to individual needs.