Mindfulness

• Gaining control of thoughts:


  Focus on present thoughts, emotions & feelings. Accept them. Gain greater awareness of unhelpful or negative thoughts that dominate us so we can gain control over them & spend less time dealing with them. Negative automatic thinking can lead to anxiety & depression-can notice when automatic processes occur & alter their reaction to be more of a reflection.
• Informal practices of mindfulness:

  Once learned, mindfulness can be practised throughout daily life amid other activities- driving, cleaning, showering. It's opposite of multi-task - make conscious decision to focus on 1 single task-paying attention to surroundings. E.g, in shower notice body sensations as water hits skin & listen to sound of water falling etc. When attention begins to wander, bring attention back to these sensations. Gives break from normal thought processes.
• Meditation & mindful breathing:

  Learned through mix of guided instruction & personal practice. Client sits in comfortable position, spine straight & ask them to direct their attention to their breathing. Pay attention to body sensations, thoughts & emotions. Prevents intrusion of unhelpful negative thoughts. Helps reprocess internal experiences & accept thoughts & emotions are impermanent. Learns not to react in automatic way to thoughts. Sitting most effective as it physically removes person from daily interactions with life so easier to focus mind.
• Mantzios & Giannou (2014)


  170 participants randomly assigned to practice meditation for 6 weeks within group or individually. Participants in group lost more weight & lowered their levels of cognitive-behavioural avoidance (e.g, avoiding social activities/invitations). Benefits of individual mindfulness meditation need to be viewed with caution.
• Integration with other therapies:

  Mindfulness incorporated into other therapies such as psychoanalysis & CBT. E.g, mindfulness-based CBT (MiCBT) 4 stage therapeutic approach incorporates mindfulness with CBT. Helps change process of thinking, not just content of thoughts. (CBT modifies unrealistic thoughts & beliefs).
• Ruedy & Schweitzer (2010)


  Individuals high in mindfulness less likely to cheat on task & more likely to uphold ethical standards (e.g, moral identity). Improving state of mind makes us more moral in many facets of life.
• 'Positive' approach to therapy:

  Client anxiety avoided as past not involved (unlike psychoanalysis), not determinist, doesn't focus on changing process of thinking (unlike CBT) so is less frustrating as it accepts thinking process. CBT can cause guilt, but mindfulness teaches acceptance.
• Application in MBSR:

  Mindfulness-based stress reduction used in hospitals with patients with chronic, painful, disabling or terminal conditions (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Reibel et al (2001) reported MBSR decreased levels of anxiety & depression in 136 patients who participated in 8-week mindfulness programme, with 20 mins mediation per day. Results also seen after 1 year follow-up.
• Teasdale et al (2000)


  Evaluated effectiveness of MBCT among 145 recurrently depressed patients. Randomly allocated to receive treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU + 8 classes MBCT. Relapse/recurrence to major depression assessed over 60-week period. MBCT provided greatest help to those who suffered most number of previous episodes. No effect on those who had only 2 episodes of depression in past, but substantially reduced risk of relapse in those who had 3 or more previous episodes of depression.
• What is MBCT used for?


  Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Used to help prevent patients who suffer recurrent depression from relapse.