Training Teachers to Deliver Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Learning from the UK Experience

Mindfulness-based approaches, supported by several randomized controlled trials, help prevent depressive relapse and recurrence, and are recommended by the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for use in the National Health Service. These approaches also appear helpful for anxiety disorders and chronic physical health problems, with growing interest in applying them to personality disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders. The authors review the UK context, outline criteria for teacher competence and training steps, and discuss challenges and future directions for ensuring evidence-based mindfulness approaches are available in health care and other settings.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Several randomised controlled trials suggest that mindfulness-based approaches are helpful in preventing depressive relapse and recurrence, and the UK Government's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has recommended these interventions for use in the National Health Service. There are good grounds to suggest that mindfulness-based approaches are also helpful with anxiety disorders and a range of chronic physical health problems, and there is much clinical and research interest in applying mindfulness approaches to other populations and problems such as people with personality disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders. We review the UK context for developments in mindfulness-based approaches and set out criteria for mindfulness teacher competence and training steps, as well as some of the challenges and future directions that can be anticipated in ensuring that evidence-based mindfulness approaches are available in health care and other settings.